As a former special education teacher, we had access to every IEP (Individualized Education Plan) that that student had had since they had come into school. As teachers, when we would write these IEPs, then we knew that we needed to write about each student in an objective format and not a subjective format. That was a difficult thing to do at times. Our experiences with that person or a certain group of people can often be colored by our own feelings toward them or even what we hear about them from other people. In doing this, we are therefore trying to paint them with a broad brush, but that is not something that we should do. Broad strokes are for painting and CANNOT define people. As hard as it is, we cannot “lump” people all in one category. We have to look at each person as the individuals that they are. If we don’t, then we miss the beauty of God’s people because we were maybe only focused on one thing about them and it is not always the good stuff either!
Haven’t you noticed that some people will condemn a group of people as bad just because maybe they had a bad, or maybe several bad, experiences? I’m always sorry that that person had a bad experience, but we must work hard to not let it define how we look at others. Some people use those experiences and it colors how they look at the world and the people that occupy it. They’ve taken those broad strokes and presume to know all that there is to know about a person just by looking at them. Maybe I am just naive or maybe just supremely optimistic, but I like to look at each person as their own individual and not as a group. I have to work at this though, because it doesn’t always come easily. I found that when I want to get mad at a group of people or a person, then I will try and say a prayer for that person or group of people and even for myself as well. It helps me to change my perspective and has the added benefit of adding God to it as well.
That is hard for some folks to do. They get caught up in what others are saying and go along with it because it may seem to be the right thing to do at the time. They have replaced their own distinctive humanity with the crowds chanting. They fail to see the beauty that is each individual soul. Shouldn’t we be glad that God doesn’t do the same to us, what we do so casually to others? You know that prayer thing that I mentioned earlier? Try it. It know that it has helped me out tremendously.
Remember, that the painting that we need to see with the broad strokes should instead be the gift of each individual person, not the color of their skin, their ethnicity, or the church that they attend or whatever way that people like to judge others. Instead, we need to see if that person’s actions speak louder than the words that they say. In doing that, we can see the true measure of that person. I know that I would want them to see me in the exact same way.
What have I learned from this? When I learned to look deeper within a person and not so quickly judge, then I have found that it has allowed me to meet amazing people that I would not have otherwise met. It humbles me and makes me so very glad that we have a God who looks at what I have within my heart and does not judge me for how I act at times. I’m also so very glad that He continues to give me a chance to change my own behavior and to learn from each and every lesson that life likes to throw my way. Our God is truly an amazing God!!
So, what can you gain from this? The hardest step to take is that step towards the mirror. A mirror shows us all of our blemishes. It’s very hard to admit that our behavior is less than the perfection that we think that we have. It’s when we can admit to our own faults in making snappy judgements that we can start to see each other as the perfectly imperfect beings that we actually are. God doesn’t expect perfection, nor do I think that He wants it. I think, instead, that He just wants us to be open to all that He gives us and to love each other as He loves us. We can’t ask for anything better, to my way of thinking.
A Joyful Mission 