CONSIDERING A POINT OF VIEW

I remember that once years ago my mother and I were going somewhere together and she was doing the driving and up ahead was a man on a bicycle.  He was trying to stay to the outside of the road but it was a chilly windy day and he was obviously having difficulty.  It was a main road and congested with traffic.   Consequently everyone on the road was slowing down and I made the comment, "Couldn't he find some other place to ride his bike?"  to which my mother replied, "Maybe that's his only means of transportation.  He might be going to or from work."  My immediate thought was, "Why didn't that occur to me?" 

In thinking the situation over many things come to mind having to do with the sometimes frequent quick assumptions we tend to make in life.  I think at times we do fail to stop and consider the possible circumstances others are coping with in life.  For instance, on occasion we meet people who are difficult to tolerate and it could be that we make many assumptions based on that.  It could be that we make harsh judgments or we're just downright critical.  Or, that we choose to walk the other way and not care one way or the other.  Any one of those is - pretty bad.

I believe that what Jesus said is if we choose to only love those we consider good or those who love us, what does that prove?  We are called to love everyone.  We don't get to pick and choose - it's everyone. And yet we don't have to rely on our own ability to love.  God's love comes to us, from His spirit to our spirit, and we can either embrace that love and choose God's path or return to or continue on thinking and reacting as the world does.  As long as life endures it will remain a choice, and though we would love to feel that as Christians we will make the right choice it doesn't always happen that way because we may follow a wrong way of thinking at times. 


"Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another," the Apostle Paul wrote.  That helps us to understand - God wants us to look at others and use some understanding - and to remember that while we may not know their circumstances, He does.  And one way we can show God that we're paying attention is by way of sincere prayer.  It's good to show our concern for others and to take those concerns to God in prayer.  My mother gave me some insight that day we saw the man struggling with his bicycle on a blustery day, and I've wanted to remember it always.  And I like to keep in mind that whatever the situation, it is God's point of view that's important in life - in all things.