2006 09 20 Need insight on this...

I try not to be angry about this. I just feel a need to defend some people lately. I sincerely want to know what is driving people who are critical, judgmental, and nosy but say that they are "only helping"? I don't understand. How should one respond to grown-up bullies?

First - Maggie here at Faithprints seems to get jumped all over regularly. She opens her heart and mind and life to those that read her blog as she writes, trying to understand better how to manage her walk, her faith, her home, her family, her homeschooling interests, and her and her family's health issues the best way she knows how. And, often she has to take a break, walk away from Faithprints for a time because individuals seem to think it is right, fair, and appropriate to critique and criticize her choices and opinions.

Then, another Christian woman whose blog I follow (who has an AMAZING witness story if you are interested: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/LittleHouseBigGod/) has to apparently defend her choices for her family and faith when others repeatedly challenge her about the direction she's chosen for herself and her family.

Closer to home, a sweet, unassuming, shy, faithful Christian sister felt she would follow God's calling and step out despite difficulties reading and speaking in public and begin a new ministry at our church for losing weight and improving our "temples" for the glory of God. Then, she gets a nasty phone call from someone outside our church that attended ONE meeting saying that she is running the group inappropriately.

I don't agree with all the choices everyone else makes for their lives. I wouldn't make the same choices many others make. But, we are all children of God and we're all supposed to be family regardless of our denominational, historical, social, psychological, and behavioral differences. God is working on ALL of us, moving us toward perfection in Him and in Him alone. How is one encouraging others to strive for all God's envisioned for them when we are critical?

I'm just so frustrated and bewildered. We're supposed to being loving on people, not tearing them down. As I've watched/seen/heard about these (and other) things over the last week or so, it just alternatively breaks my heart and fills me with anger. Again - what are we to do about grown-up bullies?