“Don’t know,” Sally shrugged her shoulders, staring blankly at me.
I looked at her with surprise. “Aren’t Joyce and Tess your…uh, partners in crime? Best buds? Soulmates? The other members of Charlie’s Angels?”
“Not anymore. We haven’t spoken for a year now.”
Her words were icy, the room temperature suddenly fell ten degrees.
“We had a falling out over our ice cream business. Best friends should never get into business together,” she philosophized, “cuz it ruins everything.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Did the three of you try to seek help from your prayer group leader? He could have acted as a go-between, a more objective point of…”
She interrupted, “Which faction should we have asked for help?
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you hear? Our prayer group split up last year. The founder had a vicious fight with the new leaders in the community. These leaders, together with their friends, left and formed their own group. It was bloody.”
I sighed. Not another break-up. “Are you attending any prayer group now?”
“Nope. I was part of those that didn’t want to take sides and was left in the middle. We’re quite a lot.”
“What a waste.”
“A waste of tears, pain, and friends. Oh Bo, when will all these conflicts stop?”
--0—
As long as we live on planet Earth, conflicts will be with us.
But here’s my message: I believe you can lessen the frequency and intensity of conflicts in your life.
How? Be a peacemaker.
Jesus said, “Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children!” (Matthew 5:9) First, you’ve got to know what kind of conflict you’re facing. There are three kinds of Conflicts:
1. Conflicts that are necessary.
2. Conflicts that re unavoidable.
3. Conflicts that are unnecessary and avoidable.
Knowing the difference will make you live in peace even amidst the conflicts.
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