A Mile in My Shoes

Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5 ESV).

Jesus words in our Scripture this morning are very telling in our relationships with others. It is so easy to see the fault in others and overlook our own. The following story is true. It illustrates how we can never really know the reasons why people do some of the things they do and our criticism of them may be completely unfounded.

A grocery store checkout clerk wrote to advice columnist Ann Landers to complain that she had seen people buy “luxury” food items like birthday cakes and bags of shrimp with their food stamps. The writer went on to say that she thought all those people on welfare who treated themselves to such non-necessities were “lazy and wasteful.” A few weeks later Ann Landers’ column was devoted entirely to people who had responded to the grocery clerk. Some, of course, agreed wholeheartedly with the clerk. Others had another view entirely. In fact, one woman wrote:

I didn’t buy a cake, but I did buy a big bag of shrimp with food stamps. So what? My husband had been working at a plant fifteen years when it was shut down. The shrimp casserole I made was for our wedding anniversary dinner and lasted three days. Perhaps the grocery clerk who criticized that woman would have a different view of life after walking a mile in my shoes.

And, here’s the real heartbreaker:

I’m the woman who bought the $17.00 birthday cake and paid for it with food stamps. I thought the checkout woman in the store would burn a hole through me with her eyes. What she didn’t know (and I would never tell her) is that the cake was for my little girl’s birthday. It will be her last. She has bone cancer and will probably be gone within six months. Because of her medical expenses we have been unable to live without welfare assistance.

It’s so easy to be critical of others and never really know the whole story. Today as you find yourself interacting with those around you, remember that you haven’t walked in their shoes, and they haven’t walked in yours. Treat them with kindness and patience, compassion and love.