Know their Story before...

​Today as I headed out the house for my run, I came across this guy who was sleeping on a loading dock. As I ran by, I started to think what his story was and how did he become homeless. Then I started to think to myself that I bet it was drug related. About the time that crossed my mind I thought I’m judging this man without even knowing his story. I kept running and kept thinking about this man. As I was running back home in a different direction there stood the man that was sleeping. He was standing at the corner of the street headed to the gas station. So, I had to stop and talk with him. I took my ear phones out and struck up a conversation with him.  Come to find out he was a teacher with his masters. You’re probably thinking how do you know he wasn’t telling you a lie and that is a good question. Here is the way I know he wasn’t lying, because I actually went to college with him. When I realized who he was, I asked if he remembered me. He didn’t for a second then he realized who I was. I asked him man how in the world did you end up here? He shared with me his story of losing his Dad and he stopped teaching to try to keep up the family business, but during the downturn of the economy, he lost everything. It wasn’t because of drugs or anything like that. However, I judged him without knowing his story.
 
Don’t we do this every day? I remember going through this personally when I went through my divorce. I am the first one to tell you that I didn’t make the best choices at the beginning of my divorce. I remember people judging me without knowing my story. I would say ask yourself this question, “Do you know what’s going on with a person before you decide not to like them.” You might not like the decisions that have made which I totally understand that, but make sure you understand their story. Again, I’m not saying it gives people a pass of making bad decisions, but you might find out the true struggle and be able to help. It’s very easy to throw rocks at something or someone, you don’t understand. Therefore, before you start throwing rocks make sure you understand the story. When we understand the battle that someone is fighting, we can understand how to love someone better. Because how you see people will determine how you treat them. God calls you to love each other as Christ loved us. We may not agree or understand but it’s our job to love them.
 
Look at how Christ treated this woman in Luke 7:36-41 “36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you. “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[a] and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
 
Ask yourself are you Simon? Jesus knew who this lady was and knew she was sinful but loved her anyway. I’m not saying Christ agreed with her decisions, but he loved her. As we go through each day and before we start to judge someone, remember “Lets understand his/her battle so we can love him/her better” because this is what we are called to do.