Today I had a thought provoking moment when I went to a local shopping center and saw two guys. They were both on opposite ends of the outside corners and they were both holding up signs in the rain. One with a sign asking for money; the other guy holding a "Little Caesar's" sign (gosh, it makes me smile when they dance) shaking it up and down for the local pizza place.
My first thought was to judge. "Why couldn't the guy begging be more like the guy working?" "We work for our things, why can't he?" "I donate to charity's and he has so many resources he could use." "He will probably use it for the wrong reasons if I did give him money."
But then another thought... What if that guy begging for money was my brother?
I'm not promoting giving money to every person holding up a sign. I didn't today. Occasionally I do, when I feel prompted. But I am advocating to not judge so quickly. I have no idea what choices or circumstances took him to the corner that rainy day. But, if we were all a little slower to judge, we might find out the who instead of the what.
In my teenage years, my family had a motto. "Sin has its own consequence, just love everyone." I'm not saying this guy was a sinner, but he probably was. Because everyone is a sinner, I am a sinner and you're a sinner.
Moral of the story, just love everyone.
So, next time you find yourself judging the person who didn't vote for the person you did or doesn't share the same beliefs, the beggar, the rich, the feminist, the activist, the person who doesn't want to march, the breastfeeding in public and the non-breast feeding in public; hold your thoughts and look at the situation differently because you don't know what choices or circumstances brought them there. JUST LOVE EVERYONE!!
Feel free to share, we all need more love.
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