I usually don’t know what I’m going to share with you until Friday evening or Saturday, and today was no exception—until I drove through the Savemart parking lot this morning and saw a former friend loading groceries into her new Lexus SUV.

The two of us had been inseparable for years, our families were friends, we traveled together, worked together, shopped together until our friendship began to unravel. And my becoming a Christian was the last thread to break.

So, when I saw her this morning, all my petty feelings rose to the surface. Within a few minutes I was consumed with my feelings of betrayal, envy, and resentment.

Leviticus 19:18 says, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”

Not hold a grudge, Lord? I know the Bible is my instruction manual, but I really want to hold on to my grudge because I’m justified!

I continued to drive to the gas station, and I took a deep breath. I do pray for my former friend and her family periodically, but seeing her unexpectedly brought out something in me that I didn’t like. I thought I had rid myself of these feelings, and I was disappointed to find that I had only been fooling myself.

Jesus said in Matthew 22:39, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Evidently, Jesus felt this worth repeating. I prayed, right then and there for my friend and her family and I also prayed for myself.

I left the gas station feeling better about taking one step toward conquering my pettiness and the grudge that I can’t seem to release. But I’m not where I want to be. Can anyone relate?