"The smile on her face was hiding the pain behind her eyes. These were days that she did all she could by just getting to work. No one knew the struggles that lived behind her tired, red eyes. This day was day 5 of being homeless. She continued on with her day as if the pain wasn’t a constant stabbing, reminder of her troubles. She prayed to God and asked for mercy and grace, praying that God would relieve her of her pain and her suffering. No one could understand the pain, the man that she loved left, took her car and left her with nothing other than her clothes. She found herself working two jobs, usually late for both----just to stay on top of the bus fare and hotel room and nobody could understand why she seemed to be flighty and unreliable. What was worse, was that she felt that way----like a complete failure. She felt like there was nothing left for her. Her co workers gossiped behind her back, assuming she was out every night and having parties all night long. No one knew that she was tired because she was fearful of what would happen, her sleepless nights a reminder of her shattered life. The clothes she wore the last two weeks were nearly the same everyday and everyone noticed------but no one asked why."
How often do we judge people based on what we think, without knowing the type of choices that they had to choose from? It actually happens quite often and more than we would like to admit. We don’t know what's going on in others lives. We don’t know what their home life is like or what they may have been through. We are quick to judge sometimes without knowing the whole story.
This is where we have an opportunity.
We have an opportunity to make a difference in their life and lift them up, offering encouragement and inspiration instead of judgement.
A reminder that we should not judge because we do not know the choices they had to choose from, or the choices they were forced to make.
As an encouraging reminder we should always lean on the side of asking, offering help and showing compassion and love. There is never room for judgement...on any level.
You may just be the one person that makes a life changing situation tolerable for them, just by smiling and saying hello.