Walk a Mile In His Shoes

We have all heard that old saying, "Don't judge until you walk a mile in his moccasins." We never know what the other person is going

through.

 Recently, God taught me a lesson about this. I made a special treat for a friend and I gave it to her. Another friend came along and wanted it so she gave it to them. She really wanted it for herself, but sacrificed it so another could have the special treat. She knew that I would make her another one, so she felt free to give it up to the other person.

When she told this to me, I was upset because I wanted her to have the treat, not the other person whom I had told that they could not have it earlier.

It bothered me at what they did and I grumbled to God about it.  He listened to me for a while, then said calmly, "That person may have really been hungry...." And He went on to remind me of the circumstances that the person has been facing recently. 

He said, "What would happen if you were walking in their shoes right now?"

That made me stop and think a bit. I would not have wanted to have happen to me what that person is going through. I would not want to walk in their shoes because they are facing a lot of difficult circumstances right now.  

In the devotional book called, Grace For The Moment, by Max Lucado, He wrote these words under the May 8 devotional.

  "Get Out of the Judgement Seat"

We condemn a man for stumbling this morning, but we didn't see the blows

he took yesterday.

We judge a woman for the limp in her walk, but cannot see the tack in her shoe.

We mock the fear in their eyes, but have no idea how many stones they have ducked or darts that they have dodged.

Are they too loud?  Perhaps they fear being neglected again.

Are they too timid? Perhaps they fear failing again.

Too slow? Perhaps they fell the last time they hurried.

You don't know. Only one who has followed yesterday's steps can be their judge....."

It is so easy to judge without knowing all of the facts. Jesus said simply, "Don't do it! That is His job, not ours."

So, I had to offer grace and forgiveness to that person and to my friend. She knew that I would make her another treat if I knew the circumstances. 

By walking a mile in another's shoes we see things a bit differently. We see things that we did not see before. And...maybe after a while you will develop blisters on your toes because the shoes are not made for you! By the end of the mile you will be literally footsore and weary!

Wear your own shoes. Walk your own mile. You cannot walk for another. The road is only wide enough for you and one other person, Jesus Christ. He will carry your load and theirs, too. 

I have heard an old radio preacher say, "Walk with the King today and be a blessing!"

That is good advice for today!

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh

 

 

What is Your Worth?

Over the weekend I was working at a garage sale.  My job was to operate the bake sale  and food stand. Others were carrying out items to be sold, sorting merchandise, etc. We were all quite busy about the tasks that were at hand.

 When there was a lull in customers, we walked around looking at the things that were for sale. We talked about the different items that were for sale...and we bought some things that saw at good bargain prices.

One of the workers was talking to another worker about the value of different glasses, goblets, and other glassware. She pointed out that some of the prices were not right and should be relabeled. She demonstrated why. She picked up one glass and showed the thickness of the glass. She snipped the side of it with her fingers and said, "This one is crystal."  How did she know that?  The sound of the tap on the glass. It sounded clear and had a melodious tone to it. 

She picked up another glass and tapped her nail against it.  This one sounded hollow. Oh, it looked expensive, but it was nothing more than a cheap plastic imitation of the real thing. That glass wasn't worth near the value of the true crystal glass with the clear pure tones.  

What about our lives?

• Do we sound melodious when our glass is tapped or are we a hollow- sounding, cheap, plastic imitation of the real thing?
• Are we genuine in our love for Christ and others?
• When others hear us talking or observe our actions do they ring true with what we say?

People are not fooled by imitation. They know what is genuine or not. 

However, I wanted to make another point here. Crystal is valuable whether it is chipped or not. To God we are all valuable treasures created in His image. Our worth is far above rubies to Him. It does not matter if we are battered and scarred on the outside. He sees our hearts. He knows our true value. Underneath that crusty individual is true pure crystal.  We do not see the potential that He does. 

It takes Christ and His sacrifice on the cross to transform that treasure on the inside so that the outside will be pleasant to the eyes..... Pleasant in attitude and actions.... Valuable beyond worth. Priceless Treasures! That is what we are to Christ. 

Thanks for reading,


Donna McHugh

Lessons From a Mother Bird

The other evening, we were working outside trimming shrubs and doing garden work. My son was using the electric hedge trimmers and was unaware of the fact that a mother catbird had flown out of her nest and was scolding him for disturbing her peace. She was trying to get him away from her nest in one of the shrubs. She was frantically calling to her babies in the nest. She was not abandoning them, but instead was protecting them from a distance.

In a moment a little bird half- flew, half- hopped out of the shrubbery and tried flying unsuccessfully from the danger he felt he was in. The mother continued to call encouragement to her baby. He hopped into the tall grass and tried to hide. 

Within another moment, two more little catbirds did the same as the other one only this time, they stuck together and frantically called and hopped and flopped across the yard. 

We wanted to help them back to the nest, but we could not touch them. We did not know what to do. We hated to see these little ones get lost in the grass and never find their way back to the nest. 

Then we noticed that the two that stuck together had reached a tree a few yards across the lawn. Their mother, who had been watching them, flew down to the ground where they were. She chattered to them in her own bird language. The single bird heard their calls and headed in their direction. 

Darkness was beginning to settle in and we lost track of the bird family. We did see the mother bird later and hope that she was able to keep her little fledglings safe. 

The lesson from this is that when we leave the "parent nest", our Heavenly Father is always watching out for us. Just like that mother catbird, He knows right where we are at all times. He is calling out encouragement to us to help us find Him. 

Another lesson was that the ones who stuck together fared better than the one who went a totally different direction. They encouraged each other and went in the same direction. That is called fellowship in people terms. That is what God wants us to do for each other...

• Call out encouragement to each other.  
• Don't abandon a brother or sister in a crisis.
• Head in the direction of the voice of God.  He will lead you to safety.
• Even if we stray far away from God, if we stop and listen, He will always welcome us back.There was a bird reunion right there under the tree the other night. 
• God is always watching out for us even though we make bad choices and abandon what we know is right. 

As far as we know, the mother catbird was able to take care of her little ones. Our Father in Heaven cares for us, too. He sees when the sparrow falls from the Heavens and He will see us through the difficult times. How much more important are we than the sparrows? 

Thanks for reading.

Donna McHugh