Russellings of the Spirit

Sometimes, I really appreciate it.

Like, for instance, when we are out dining with friends and Joan sees a big blob of spaghetti sauce on my chin and then signals me – using that secret sign language couples develop over time – to reach up and wipe it off. 

At other times… OK, I’ll own it; MOST other times… I am much less enthusiastic about having my flaws pointed out by someone else. 

I would much prefer to go through life clinging to the belief that I am possessed of an unerring ability to reflect and correct, all by myself. 

I mean, what the heck! I’m a WRITER, for crying out loud! I spend a lot of time trotting out a sentence, stepping back and eyeing it dispassionately, finding all of its flaws, errors in syntax, grammar, and construction, and then fixing it! 

Why shouldn’t I be perfectly capable of doing the same thing with all of the other parts of my life? I mean, why do I need Joan – or ANYONE, for that matter – to point my defects out to me? I’ll find them and fix them myself, thank you very much!

Wouldn’t we all prefer to believe that we have the same kind of internal GPS system our cell phones are equipped with? You know, the one that sees a traffic jam up ahead, plots a new course, and then calmly, confidently tells us, “Rerouting!”

Sadly, that is not the nature of the world we live in. All of us – even the super-attuned ones among us – need the loving correction of a pair of eyes that belong to someone else. 

Even when… maybe especially when… that correction stings a little. 

A wise Chinese philosopher once said, “Do not correct a fool or he will hate you. Correct a wise man and he will appreciate you.” 

Or, as our hero, Jesus the Christ, once famously said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32, NRSV). 

Of course, our willingness to receive correction has a lot to do with the manner in which it is offered. Oddly enough, I did not immediately say, “Thank you!” to the guy who blew his horn at me and helpfully suggested I should, “LEARN HOW TO DRIVE, MORON!!”

But our response to correction probably has a lot more to do with our willingness to receive it. Do we fear correction? Do we see it as a condemnation or rejection? Or do we see it as a compassionate act, motivated by another person’s desire to guide us toward excellence?

I will be the first to admit that this is still very much a growing edge for me. Too often I receive correction today – at the age of 68 – not very much differently than I received it at the age of 8.

Fortunately, though, I regularly give Joan and others around me, plenty of opportunity to help me work on correcting this personal blind spot. And thankfully, they do.

So, I guess I will close by asking you this: What do you think? How did I do? What should I change or correct about this post?

Go ahead… I can take it.

Abundant blessings;