Heavenly Father,
Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night could be a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.
Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly could be a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.
Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) could be a slave to addictions, as a sole means of escaping a life of trauma that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares!
Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress could be savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together
Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.
--Author Unknown
Now...I better hear a chorus of Amens, believing ones or not. Ya hear?
Hey I just wanted to let you know that I changed my blog's URL
ReplyDeleteAbandon Image can now be found at
www.abandonimage.blogspot.com
Amen.
ReplyDeleteI liked that, actually. It's good to take a step back.
ReplyDeleteNow what would he have to say for the drones at the Social Security office? I have no compassion left for them. Sorry.
Yes, this is good. Now that I have empathy, I always do try to put myself in the "annoying" stranger's shoes. It does work. It chills me out. And I often think of the person as my mother. Then things get easier to tolerate. Plus, Jesus did say whatever we do to the least of these, we do to Him. That is sobering truth from the Bible.
ReplyDelete