Challenging relationships provide growth.

There are times in the past that you can recall, and there will be times in the future where you will be challenged to recognize any spirituality in another individual. It is too easy for you to respond to what someone else does, even to respond to what someone else says without really understanding what someone else means. Just as you cannot come to a full understanding of God in your human form when you are alone, neither can others. They need your presence as much as you need theirs. This presence may be compassionate, it may be a quiet presence, it may be a directive influence, it may be consoling, challenging—there are many ways.

Life as you experience it will never be free from the challenge of recognizing the spiritual validity of others. You will not get to a point in your development where all you see is purely spiritual, is only the good of another. That is not for you to experience. If you were to reach that point, there would be no more growth, for you would have essentially arrived at an all-knowing spiritual brilliance.

For human beings, there will always be the challenges of individuals that bring to question the issue of spirituality, of spiritual presence, of a godly light. But it is in accepting those who challenge you, those whose behavior or ideas you may find repugnant, that you are given the food so essential for your own spiritual growth. It is not realistic to look at life through the proverbial rose-colored glasses, for you never see the true colors that surround you. Do not be disturbed, therefore, when you feel you are failing in your abilities to accept others whom you find in some way offensive. Take those challenges as opportunities for developing the grace of love, the gift of trust. It is a leap of faith that you are asked to express, to exercise.