To Those Who "Happen to Be There."

I started reading The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis the other day. I have never read this book, and am still working on completing it. But there are already some amazing insights that I have learned from reading what I have from this book. One of them is to appreciate those in my life, no matter if I enjoy being around them or not. C.S. Lewis puts it this way, 

The truly wide taste in humanity will similarly find something to appreciate in the cross-section of humanity whom one has to meet every day. In my experience it is Affection that creates this taste, teaching us first to notice, then to endure, then to smile at, then to enjoy, and finally to appreciate, the people who "happen to be there." Made for us? Thank GOD, no. They are themselves, odder than you could have believed and worth far more than we guessed.

Lewis is not saying that we will learn to love everybody, but what he is saying is that there are people out there that we will most definitely butt heads with. But as we are forced to spend time with some people, we learn to endure who they are, then slowly we start to understand them, so we can laugh off some of those oddities which originally bugged us. As time goes on, you may still not intentional become friends with those people, but you will appreciate them for being in your life at some point in time. 


Whether they are people on your floor or people in your church, there will be people you don't enjoy being around when you begin to know them. But as time goes on, you couldn't imagine the floor without that individual identity. It's a blessing in the end (whether they turn out to be ridiculous stories or they teach you something you otherwise wouldn't have learned). 


We won't be friends with everybody, but we can be thankful for the people who "happen to be there" because they have a ton of potential to bless our lives with joy and maturity. GOD has placed people in our lives with intent to help us love HIM more, and everyone can teach you something about HIM if you take the time to listen and appreciate those who "happen to be there."


GOD, help me to not overlook those who "happen to be there," those who live with me, eat with me, learn with me, and play soccer with me. I may not be able to know them all on a deep level, but I pray that they might help me glorify YOU more and that I do the same for them. Help me be humble and appreciative of those who don't agree with me because I'm not always right. Thank YOU.