LET ME RANT AND RAVE FOR A MOMENT HERE

I have to remind myself from time to time that this is MY blog.

This is a place where I can rant and rave and shout and print obscenities (well, okay, I won't go quite that far) and get it out of my system instead of raising my blood pressure and causing an ulcer.

I'm having to deal with a close relative who has suddenly decided that immediately (as TODAY) he wants to be released from the nursing home where he has been for almost an year, and refuses to consider any possibility that he MIGHT not quite be ready for home life.

And regardless of how many times I TELL him this, he refuses to hear and comprehend,

I'm just tired of this. I've been taking care of this ''adult" for the past two years - it's more like having a child throwing temper tantrums.'.

Okay, that's all I needed to get out of my system... at least for this evening.

CHRIST-LIKE OR ACCEPTING ABUSE?

I know I've raised this question before, but it came up again yesterday.

Someone wants something.

I'm not willing to immediately give this person what they want.

This someone then erupts into a temper tantrum, lashing out with angry words and threats.

(Sounds like our government right now, doesn't it?)

I then end up retreating and giving the someone what they wanted in the first place.


Problems?

Number one; I've reward bad behavior.

Number two; I've now in a bad and depressed mood.


This would all be much simpler if I was dealing with a five-year old.

However, I am taking about my sixty-two year old brother.


And since I am striving to become more Christ-like, I wonder if this is abuse or simply to be tolerated as Christ tolerated and forgave the people who worked against him.

Should I be working on walking out the door once the abusive behavior begins? Or should I focus on forgiving him while still now bowing to his whims?

When is it service and when is it abuse?

Or am I supposed to teach a 62 year old some manners?

Any thoughts?