What I need to do, and what I encourage anyone else to do, is BE the peace. It's easy to say, "Let there be peace," but sometimes YOU have to be the peace. Literally.
It can be difficult. You may have to tear down a solid wall and (uncomfortably) say, "I'm sorry." Carefully examine the conflict you are in and ask, "Could I have handled that ANY differently to have prevented hurt to another person?" The answer may truthfully be, "No." But, if this a person you love and, despite right or wrong, you may know they need an extended hand of peace.
You may need to say, "I forgive you." That can be REALLY hard when you feel like you've done nothing wrong, or when you feel like the other person is still being hurtful and rude. I mean, in how many cases do we actually brave up and say, "I forgive you," when the person is still ACTIVELY hurting you? Why would you feel the need to do that when they seem to be proud of hurting you? Or, especially when they are making it pretty obvious that they don't care about you or what's important to you. It's tough, but sometimes, it's the only way to find peace in your heart.
You just never know what opening that door will do for a relationship. Maybe you stood your ground and they didn't like it. Guess what? If you can get beyond this time of hurt, you can probably be assured they will know what the boundaries are in the future and won't cross them. This, of course, leads to a more honest relationship.
If you have children, it is even more important to have peace within. I've learned this countless times! We may think our kids don't pick up on our bitterness or hurt, but they do. They really can sense when Mommy or Daddy isn't truly happy. They see it in our eyes, hear it in our voices. I have to keep reminding myself of this - Liam should not pay the price for turmoil that he is not responsible for.
I heard someone say today on a talk show, "You can't find peace until you find all the pieces." Wow! Such a concept to consider. Just get it all out on the table (even if it's just to yourself) and be done with it.
"Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me."
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