Happy New Year, everyone!
I am looking forward to redeeming myself this year and in the future. As always.
But.
I just have to express something here that is dear to my heart – I feel sorry for my neighbours next door. Almost everyday, I get to hear hollering and swearing off with F-bombs and a whole number of crass words that the family is saying to one another. Most especially with the dad towards his four -year old son. I cannot believe from what I hear from this father who tells his son that he is a worthless [expletives] sort of person. And can you believe I would often hear this loud and clear almost frequently? I also feel that they have a violent streak to them, so the hope of even saving that child from such verbal abuse seems clearly useless. I could even sometimes hear glasses broken and shouting and loud sobbing…I am such a pathetic person to not even do something to help them from harming themselves.
Even though they are nice towards us, I still feel uneasy whenever they do that to one another. It is just awful to be that person who just constantly swears and throws shards of breakable objects whenever they feel too angry and frustrated about anything. Am I being a busybody? I mean, really, who would NOT care if that four year old boy gets to hear his own father tell him that he is a worthless piece of [expletive] almost frequently? Is that good to feed his little mind with such rubbish? I only feel anger and pity that they would make this boy see and hear ugly things they do. Growing up with nannies who themselves tend to abuse who they cared for only comes to mind whenever such things happen over in that house.
Do I also do the same? Um, no. I don’t swear at somebody whenever I have a bad day. I’ve been taught to have respect for everyone, even if these people I meet aren’t treating me fairly. They all do deserve respect, even if they all are just mocking me or insulting. Be like Christ is who I aim to be. I am not saying that I am all righteous, but that striving to reach that goal of perfection is always better than descending into somebody who rejoices over misery and condescension. Still, there are times that I do tend to provoke others in my family but not in name-calling. Rather by blaming them over something, because I don’t take their criticism over my wrong actions all lightly. I have yet to learn more in this life…
But it is still awful to hear a lot of vulgarity from somebody. It really gives off a powerful negative energy that sends even my back shivering a bit. Yeah, I am very sensitive in that aspect. Because here at home, I am not used to that and it has been ingrained in me that it makes a person so foul to have a fiery and filthy tongue. The world today is already getting too cynical and have been inclined more to do evil things so hearing those awful things in the new year isn’t going to make the future really promising.
The word self-control is such a rarity today. Everyone seems to want to act out of their own impulses. There goes what Paul says, “everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial”. I think that’s in his letter to the Ephesians, right? I hope I am right. There is no sense of “contemplating carefully before you do” kind of attitude among ourselves. I struggle with it so many times, so I am speaking for myself as well. I have just watched some videos at random, and some of them have just obnoxious things to say about people they don’t like or agree with. I shouldn’t have heeded my curiosity. Their cynicism really let my spirit down and that’s just not good to start off the year like this.
I hope that I am not boring you with all this droning… I just care an awful lot about how people treat others. Even if you disapprove with what they do, at least separate the person from their deeds. Judge them accordingly as God does to us (and how I miss God now after those things came to me like firecrackers).
Anyway, I hope that you all have had a great break!
P.S. That little boy deserves a lot of hugs.
The Orange Way 