Assume good will.
Does anyone else have trouble with this? It’s something that St. Ignatius asked those leading others in retreats – Assume good will of the other. It is kind of a universally good thing to do though, isn’t it?
Since it is very cold outside right now and the last few days have also been wet, our dog has been using the bathroom indoors. It drives me crazy. “Why, red puppy, are you choosing to make me crazy?” I asked her when I woke up this morning having to clean up yet another mess. My husband replied “Would you like to go outside right now?” I grumbled “Well I’m not a dog, and she’s clearly doing it on purpose!”
Ok, dramatic. How do I know her intentions? The poor, little red puppy stared at me with her big innocent black eyes clearly saying “I mean well.”
Assume good will.
It’s a challenging declaration. It’s something I know I’m struggling with a lot right now in many circumstances. But what if we did try to always assume good will of each other? What a difference that would make in… well everything.
This morning my prayer for you and for me is that we try our best to assume good will. It’s true we may disagree, we may get frustrated, but if we can only try to see what God sees in the person we are encountering… it may make all the difference.
