A Word of Advice

View from the front of the church parking lot...this is on the Northfork out of Cody.  A few weeks ago we saw 12 head of elk grazing out there, but nothing but deer since.

If you are anything like me, have you noticed that the faults of those around you seem to often stand out, shading their many good qualities?  Why is it that there can be a million and one good traits that a loved one has, but we tend to focus on what is wrong?  Why is it that their faults seem to get all of our attention?

Well, I was called up short on this by Thomas Jefferson, of all people...when I read something that he had written to his daughter.  Apparently she must have confided in him regarding the faults of a friend.  His advice follows:

"If the lady has anything difficult in her disposition, avoid what is rough, and attach her good qualities to you.  Consider what are otherwise as a bad stop in your harpsichord, and do not touch on it, but make yourself happy with the good ones...All we can do is to make the best of our friends, love and cherish what is good in them, and keep out of the way of what is bad; but no more think of rejecting them for it, than of throwing away a piece of music for a flat passage or two." -------Thomas Jefferson

Now that's sound advice!  And let's not forget that when we are focused on the faults of others, we certainly have faults of our own!  Maybe we should look at them the way we would like to be looked at ourselves...through the eyes of love!  DLB