Patience is a virtue

Recently at my mother's graduation (MS in family counseling) the president of the Boston Red Sox was the keynote speaker. I liked him because he kept it brief.  I don't really remember what he said except for one thing, "throughout life your going to encounter difficult people and your going to be tempted to put them in their place, but don't. Just be pleasant." Aint that the truth. Something I have recently figured out on my own, but was confirmed by a very wise man. I have to admit, and most of you who already know me will admit it to, I am a difficult person. This is something I have been struggling with from a very young age. I have always been too proud for my own good (that's another day) and I don't exactly warm up to people very easily, so at first I can come off as mean. But when I encounter another difficult person I just want to put them in their place. Too many times I have let my tongue get the best of me and have definitely paid the consequences for it. One time in high school I told a teacher he was full of crap in front of the whole classroom when he gave us a test that he knew we weren't entirely ready for. Definitely got a detention for that one. Slowly but surely I have learned that not just most times, but all times it is best to just not say anything.
    People know when they are difficult. I myself just admitted it to you. When you choose to turn your cheek and be pleasant, they will notice. And if they don't notice it, others will. When I was doing one of my clinical internships during my last year in physical therapy school, I had a patient who I think was on the top of the list of the world of difficult people. He was one of those individuals who was too smart, and because of that couldn't quite blend in with the rest of society. Whenever we tried to explain things to him or correct an exercise he was doing wrong he would just yell at us. Maybe it was because I needed to pass this internship or because the Holy Spirit moved me, but I never really let him get to me. It got to the point where I was the only therapist who would work with him. He never said anything or appreciated my help and lack of frustration. But when my final came up at the end of that internship my clinical instructor definitely remembered. She told me that she couldn't understand my patience with that man and that everyone in the clinic was really impressed with how I handled him. I don't know how I did it either. In fact, I hadn't even noticed, but everyone else did. And that said a lot more to them than if I had spoken my mind and let him know exactly how mad he could get me.
Now for those of you who are impressed, just remember that for every good encounter with a difficult person I've had, I have had about a thousand bad ones. There is a verse I always keep in my head when I come into a situation like this that helps me remember where Jesus stands with it all. Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. Easier said than done, but when it is done that burden is lifted and you have a peace in your heart that you would not have if it was the other way around.