During a recent gathering in which I found myself a bit uncomfortable with circumstances, I found myself cracking jokes to ease my feeling of awkwardness. My remarks hurt someone’s feelings; when it came to my (surprised) attention, I made amends.

Now it doesn’t matter if that other person wasn’t in fit emotional, mental, or spiritual condition herself. What matters is that I keep my side of the street clean. It’s similar to the notion that no matter what is happening around me, I keep my peace.

So my job above all else is to stay closely connected to God. When there is even a faint hint that I have not been loving, it is a signal for me to immediately take a look at my spiritual condition, my relationship with God. From there, I must do whatever is necessary to correct the situation with the other person and to get back on track with God. Therein lies my peace. And, everyone is better for it.