Tough conversations

Have you ever needed to confront someone or address a difficult topic with a friend? Did you look forward to it? Man, that is one of the toughest things for me to do. I spend quite a bit of time trying to find just the right way to approach it and still dread actually starting the conversation. I look for excuses not to have the conversation. When that fails I look for reasons that someone else would probably be better at having the conversation. When that lame excuse fails, if I decided not to run away from it, then I suck it up and hesitantly try to say what needs to be said. The closer the friend, the harder to get the conversation started. I started reading Isaiah today and thought about how tough it must have been to be one of God's prophets. To be the one chosen to have that tough conversation with your family, friends, and complete strangers. Delivering a needed message, but one that may not be received well. Knowing it is right doesn't always make it easier to deliver. Sometimes that only hurts you more because you know someone you love needs to hear it.

Are you willing to say the loving thing? Are you willing to confront? The loving thing may not always be easy to hear or say, but the loving thing is doing what is in the other persons best interest. I hope the people in my life are willing to have those tough conversations with me. I hope I can do the same for them even if it is awkward. Do you need to start one of those conversations today? At least you hopefully won't be called to have that confrontation for years like the prophets often ended up doing.