Judge Not

I would have told you a long time ago I am not a judgmental person.  I thought I was pretty tolerant and I was pretty calm, and then as I grew older God has taught me over and over what it means to love like Jesus and to see the world through Jesus's eyes.  Usually it comes through letting me live through situations and making me the person that I would have judged.  A terrible car accident taught me not to judge that slow driver in front of me, and not to judge the person who just can't get on that amusement park ride.  A pregnancy at 19 taught me not to judge that young mom or that mother of that young mom, she choose to take responsibility for her actions and its not easy.  A pregnancy that nearly took my life taught me not to judge those who choose an abortion when their life depended on it, its not at all easy for a family or a mother to choose between her life and her child.  God was good and allowed my baby girl to be born without losing one of us, but it is not always the case.  Having a preemie baby in a NICU and a mother sick with cancer taught me not to judge people who act distracted, sometimes they have much bigger problems on their minds and you can not know what people are going through.  Realizing I could not have anymore children after 21 and losing my mother at 25 taught me not to judge the person who finds it hard to smile at the baby shower or during the Mother's Day church service.  They are not conceited or aloof, they are grieving.  Being a mother of 8 children from all different backgrounds has taught me not to judge those moms who are tired and overwhelmed, yes we wanted to be mothers, but sometimes it is the hardest thing we have ever done.  Watching my children struggle with dysfunctional pasts has taught me to not judge those whom we have not walked in their shoes.  Having a multi ethnic family has taught me to never judge a person by the outside, but wait and see what their hearts have to offer, but do not excuse an persons unflattering behavior because you are uncomfortable with their skin color.  Most often I have learned I have a chronic pain disease and I have learned not to judge the woman who doesn't bring a bible to church or avoids the handshakes or picnics, they are not antisocial, they are doing their hardest to do what they can.  I am growing and sometimes I cringe at the things I would think about others but I am thankful God is teaching me. I urge everyone to take a breath step back and be kind because we can't always see the whys in life and when we can be the smile, the hug, the understanding one, we are loving truly like Jesus.