Looking at things differently

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

Isaiah 53:6

I am not a fan of admitting I am wrong....it goes against my ego. But, as I age, there must be some degree of wisdom developing because at least now, I do admit when I have done wrong, looked at something the wrong way etc. And I am admitting I have gone about something the wrong way.
This morning I felt a deep sadness for the way I was looking at something. Recently, when I
re-posted my WWBD post and wrote about how I felt after hearing that the Mennonites are not talking about us "as much as before", I forgot something, compassion ! I missed, what I didn't want to see was my own fault in this. You see, it is true that "Christians often shoot their own wounded" but instead of leaving that thought as the final thought, it should be that I pray for, not just words here, but deep prayer, for the shooters. We can get kinda lofty and say things like, "oh pray for them" and what we might have in our heart is more of nice sounding way of saying, "you are a mess and need prayers and we are better than you". To make a sincere effort to lift the shooter up in prayer, not with a motive that they be nice to us from now on, but for them to find a deep and abiding love that transforms them and gives them peace. No personal agenda, just wishing for a better way all around.
I decided today to think of 5 people that have been less than pleasant to me and pray for them and pray that my heart towards them be transformed too. Not talking forgiveness, we all know about that and we all know we need to forgive. I am talking really wishing and praying for them to have joy. A novel thought in a way.
I think perhaps instead of talking about the negative aspect of folks from now on, I want to have a heart that is positive and prayerful, without any personal agenda. To make sure my own motives are pure.
Maybe if we all pray for 5 "christian shooters" in our present or from our past, rather than harbor resentment and a grudge, there will be less of them in no time at all.