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God made us all so delightfully different, and yet most of the time our response to this (difference) is to be surprised and angry because we really want others to be cookie cutter images of us (both inside and out). I just finished a book that made me laugh, cry, and get angry, but it kept my attention until the very last word on the very last page. It also made me very sad...sad about how we can cruelly mistreat those who are different from us, and we often don't think a thing about it.

Some people are just plain mean, and some people are just thoughtless..and lots in between. I hurt a friend recently. I am not quite sure what I did, and this person has not elaborated, but I know the hurt is real and for that I am sad. I am also not sure which is worse: intentionally hurting someone or being so unaware of another person's feelings or needs that you unintentionally hurt them.

I am reminded of how my children cry out "but I didn't mean to!" when they've done something hurtful. Like that makes it all okay and should cancel any consequences for what they have done. How often, do we as adults, cry our own version of "I didn't mean to!" in hopes that we can avoid responsibility for our hurtful words and actions?