What To Do With Difficult People

Do you have a difficult person in your life?

Someone whose attitude rubs you the wrong way?
Who has views different than yours, and talks about them profusely?
Somebody who constantly behaves a certain way - which absolutely drives you nuts?
Even when you tell them how you feel about it???

Argh! What is one to do with a person like that?

According to the majority of the internet (That is, the memes I see on platforms like Facebook and Pinterest.) the best thing to do is get them out of your life.
For example:

I see these memes frequently, and sometimes they make me chuckle as I think about some of the people in my life who fit into the "difficult" category.
But as of late, I am taking a much different view about what to do with these difficult people. That is, God is using a number of avenues to show me that He uses - not just the troubling moments in our lives - but the tiresome people, too, to refine our character and make us more like Jesus. As we learn how to deal graciously with people who aren't easy to love, we begin to love like Jesus does. As we become better at responding with kindness to people who have annoying traits, we start looking less like us and more like Him. And I soooooo want to look more like HIM!
Although our nature is to want to eliminate difficult people from our lives, I am becoming convinced that God allows them into our lives for a good reason.
Please know, I am talking about difficult people - not harmful people!
And so, when it comes to a person who aggravates, provokes, exasperates, or *ahem!* irritates me, I will submit to God and trust Him to use the circumstance for His good purpose. I will ask Him to soften my heart and strengthen my resolve, that I may respond with love like He does.
After all, my life would be awfully lonely if I only allowed into it people who never aggravate, provoke, exasperate, or irritate me.
And if I'm honest? God's Spirit is humbling me.
I understand that I am a difficult person, and I need grace, too.