HE tapped me on the shoulder, again.

I had a bit of an issue yesterday, really, it's been coming on for several days, maybe longer.  Nothing life threatening mind you, but important.  I had a sort of a quarrel with a friend, and it made me sad.  I am a bit of a loner, and very independent, sometimes perhaps to much so.   This friend meant well, offering me advice, though I'd not asked for any advice.  I was just talking and venting, but my friend felt the need to offer advice, on more than one occasion.   The advice came at me like this "what you need to do is....", "you should pray this way.....", "you should eat this or not eat that",  anyway, you get the picture?  I like this friend and they meant well, really they did.  But because of things that have happened to me in the past, I get VERY defensive whenever someone, anyone, tells me what I should or shouldn't do.  

Because I didn't want to hurt my friend's feelings I didn't say any thing.  When I didn't take or follow my friends advice, they seemed to get upset and take it as a personal offense.  It didn't matter that's not how I meant it.  That's how they took it.  That made them and me feel even worse.  I still didn't say anything.  

Then the other day when I was ill, and still not asking for advice mind you, they offered up some advice on what to eat to and do to get better.  Unfortunately for both of us, the options offered up were either things i already knew about or one option that was absolutely NOT going to happen.  (I'm not fond of jalapeno's except as "poppers" and I am for certain not going to put jalepeno juice in my soup!)  No matter how I tried to tell my friend that I knew what to do to take care of myself, they just kept on.  I tried to be polite and finally told them I was a mother and grandmother and knew what to do for illness.  My friend finally backed off but by then I had hurt their feelings.  

WHY am I sharing this here?  I do not want to repeat this scenario and I hope to keep others from repeating it either.   

I should have been honest at the beginning.  That was my fault for not explaining myself, why I am so sensitive to the offering of advice.   You see, my ex-husband used to tell me things like "you shouldn't say that",  "why do you think that way?",  "if you want to.....  you should ......", etc etc etc,  and it wasn't just the words it was the way he said them.   Eventually the words became stronger and were followed by other issues.

That being said, it's not my friends fault what my ex did.   And I shouldn't have taken it out on my friend.   I've tried to set things right, we both apologized.  

And should my friend happen to read this, I hope they will forgive me for speaking of this publically,  The same is true of our other friends, who will more possibly read this, please forgive me.   

So again, WHY am I sharing this here?  Because YaHUaH tapped me on the shoulder, again, and let me know in no uncertain terms, that not everyone is trying to control me, some are just trying to be good friends and be helpful.  

So, I'll be talking to my friend again, and this time explain and apologize much better.   

Please, don't make my mistake.  Please be honest with your friends, be honest with yourself.  You might as well, if not, you'll most likely find yourself getting a tap on your shoulder!  

Be blessed everyone!