Love My Enemy Love My Enemy Love My Enemy
November 5, 2009
THE FOLLOWING BLOG IS PURELY JUST SOMETHING I WANT TO SHARE FROM MY LIFE. Laugh if you’d like.
I have this teacher I have talked about in this blog before. It’s in a post about loving enemies. In an email I sent to her I said Hi and then her first name, and then asked whatever my question was. Here is was she said at the open of her next email.
“Mr. Gee, The proper form of address to your prof is “Professor” or “Doctor,” both of which I am.”
You guys may not know me very well. But that is the kind of thing that gets my goat. Everything in me wants to make her life not fun. But that of course is my flesh.
Oh man. There is so many bad things I could say. Instead I am going to try and humble myself. Maybe she deserves to be called Professor, or Doctor, I mean that is what she is. I shouldn’t have been so informal.
I think I am going to witness to her. I really think I am. I think clearly Jesus will get her to realize that these terms she wants to be called are full of pride. Oops did I just judge her a little bit, my bad. Ignore that part.
Either way I just gotta keep praying/chanting the mantra Love My Enemy Love My Enemy Love My Enemy Love My Enemy.
God Help me. This is a test isn’t it?
anthonygee.wordpress.com 
Ha ha ha, I love you babe. I think this is both a test and a growth opportunity. Stay strong 🙂
Sometimes I think the Lord will test us, so we can grow and mature in virtue and holiness. Things like this are, after all, a kind of cross for us.
Thanks for sharing!
-Brian
I’ve almost always found witnessing to be a prideful act in itself. Often used in a quest for restitution, or control, or respect, even if it’s mutual. Even as a weapon of retaliation or ridicule. For many reasons, it is not your place to correct or indoctorinate that professor. Continue the passage: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you…” yadda yadda, not give them an earful but I don’t gotta preach to the choir boy (pun intended). If God is not putting it in your heart to witness to this woman then don’t. Witnessing is for the sole purpose of spreading the pure Love of Christ with that hope that the listener will be inspired, not to condemn or correct them.
I’m not speaking from a high and mighty place, but just sharing what I’ve learned. “Vengeance is Mine”.
Tim, that blog was satirical in measure, I agree with some of the points you’re making for sure, but I think the disclaimer at the begining should have been more clear. That statement was to induce laughter.
And when you say witnessing is to get the listener inspired what do you mean? Inspired to start a relationship with Christ?
P.S.- one day in class a few weeks ago I actually did feel a love for this professor, and I think that after I finish taking this class, I am going to just ask what does she believe because I feel that God has given me that curiosity, and love to get to know her. So even though the statement in my blog is satirical, I think I may try and get to hear her story.
You’re always trying to induce laughter, Anthony. I hear your voice as I read your words and it is always in a comical lightness. However, I just in the event that it was really bugging you, I wanted to share a few things. Which I never do when it comes to these subjects, as you know. Only recently and only in your blogs.
And by witnessing to get the listener inspired, I do kind of mean that. Inspire them to turn to God, for better or worse.
Example, I have a friend who’s going through financial troubles. I tell them “I don’t worry about my finances. I’m in the hole a little bit, but I cast my worries upon God. That’s what He wants me to do and He never lets me down.”
I know what the real definition of witnessing is, but my heart strays from that because I know how unreceptive people are to it. It’s about picking and choosing your battles. And often the battle is lost because we mistake our own ambitions of being right and justified for what we were ‘suppose’ to be doing.
But that’s just my belief…
If you feel it is put on your heart to get to know her, then that’s what you should do. I bet that will be an interesting conversation… Especially if she throws some off the wall stuff at you!
For real brother. I am glad you hear my voice. And I def understand those aprehensions when witnessing. People can be unreceptive. Thats the hard part about it. Well man I love your heart and I love you. You’re awesome.
I love you too. Like a glow-worm doll… I squeeze you till your face lights up… Then I kiss your forehead before I go to sleep.
This is a fascinating conversation!
With regard to witnessing, and – as Tim put it (and rightfully so, I would say) – “picking your battles”, I think this should bring us to discernment. What is the Lord’s will? Maybe it is, after all, to speak to your teacher, Anthony; maybe what is on your heart is on God’s heart as well. Or perhaps his will is to merely pray for her, to ask the Lord to give her the graces she needs. Perhaps even those graces are graces she has never asked for, so the first step might be for you, Anthony, to ask the Lord to give those graces, to touch her heart in the way he desires to.
I feel that discernment is key here, and in all situations like this; nay, in all situations that concern the proper way to witness. For the best way to witness is the way God wants. That is how to effectively “pick our battles”, because – as we know – the battle belongs to the Lord. What is he calling you to do?
-Brian