A window treatment salesman showed up at my house four hours early for an appointment scheduled for 12:30 pm.  Of course, I wasn’t home. Upon receiving the call from this very perturbed person who was very challenged about my absence, I double-checked the email reminder to be sure my appointment was correct, and it was. This salesperson preceded to call me eight more times. First, he was angry that I wasn’t home, then he found the confirmation email and noticed his mistake, then he wanted to wait until I returned home, and finally, he apologized for the miscommunication and all the voicemails and asked to reschedule. I wanted to be angry, but first, I put myself in his shoes. Who knows what he had to do to arrive at my home by 8:30 am. If his home is anything like a typical household there’s likely a lot happening, especially with remote learning, kids pouring and spilling cereal, setting up computers, dogs needing to be walked, mom setting up her laptop, too. The scenarios are endless, and whereas this doesn’t excuse him filling my voice mail with his frustrations, it does help me fine-tune my response. 
I prayed for him a few times that day and calmly responded to the company email stating that I did not wish to reschedule. Showing mercy, even compassion, to everyone around me is not always easy. But when I’m tempted to react with negativity, I try to put myself in check. Jesus died for this man just as much as he died for you and me. I did not change my mind because of this early arrival and call-spree, instead, I chose to re-access my need. The window treatment I wanted was pricey even with the current specials. Instead of taking this salesman on his offer and responding to his messages with negativity, I ended up spending the next hour measuring and ordering a few simpler shades online. I find the more I focus on my reactions as opposed to my actions, the more space God has to work in me. It is my prayer for you find space and the grace necessary for yourself as well. 

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” – Matthew 5:7 NIV