Assessment...

Over the last few weeks, I have walked into a million houses. (Ok that's exaggerating! It's probably only a thousand! LOL!) The thing is that I walk in and I start to assess everything I see. What were these people thinking? How did they live? Did they EVER clean? Then I started thinking...how many times a day do I assess people? What is she wearing? Does she even have a full length mirror? Why would you treat your children like that? But rarely do I ever stop to think about the struggle that is going on in that person's life. We all have them. Some might show a little more than others, but they are all there if you just take a moment and look. A death in the family years ago that has never truly healed. A mask that has been worn for so long that looks so good, but it's weight is about to kill the person who constantly puts it on. A wife who is trying her best but can never seem to measure up to her husbands perfect standards. A mother whose child has turned out to be the one who the whole town knows as the "bad kid". A dad cashing his pay check wondering where, when, or if the next one is going to come.
 Every day, we pass people who need what we have, a peace. Yet instead of reaching out and helping, we judge and walk right by just adding to the pain that they feel. Can you imagine what it would be like if Jesus had reacted the same way to the "sinners" he came into contact with? You and I would be right down there on the bottom of the canyon of despair with no hope of ever getting out. I love the fact that he didn't and I would hate the fact that someone doesn't have the knowledge that they can get help out of that very oppressing canyon to live on the level ground that the cross has provided.