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Speck in the eye and a feather on a scale
You know that verse about pointing the speck out in someone’s eye when you’ve got a log in your own wouldn’t be in the Bible if God didn’t think it was necessary to point out and remind us!It is so easy to point out what someone else needs to do to fix the “problems” in their life . . . . . while your own “problems” are just about drowning you.
One thing the “problems” in my life have taught me is more empathy for others and their pain/problems. Too often in my not-so-distant past, I would “judge” other people’s problems by my own problem scale. I now realize the scale is personalized for me only- and I cannot put someone else’s problems on my scale to weigh their worth.
Many times I have become frustrated when a certain someone has come to me sharing their problems and asking for my advice (or what I perceive to be them asking for my advice . . . . hmmm) and then they don’t put my advice into practice and come to me again to bemoan the same situation . . . . to me it is extremely obvious what they need to do to fix their problem. The reality is that I should be amazed that I can see their speck of a problem thru the gi-normous chunk of wood in my own.
I have learned that what to me may just bit a small speed bump on the road of life, may be a road-wide 10 ft. deep crater of a pothole to someone else- a pothole that looks like it’s gonna swallow their little car of life whole. And vice versa. Someone who has never been deeply in debt and faced the financial strain I personally have these past 2 years may think that I am making a mountain out of an ant hill. And yet, in the midst of our financial strain I don’t ever worry about the state of my marriage- God has blessed us by growing us closer and strengthening us more. So I cannot judge on my own scale someone whose financial problems are leading them precariously close to divorce. Even yet, my debt may look like small potatoes to someone else and they're wondering why I'm "whining".
We never get a real true view of someone else’s scale anyway. I may think I know what’s all weighing on someone’s scale but it only takes something as light as a feather landing on one end to tip it. And I don’t know what the feather might be. I am reminded of a few months ago when I was having a particularly hectic and very bad week- all the big problems I tried to cope with and figured I was doing alright- I'd get by- but the “proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back” was Mr. Conductor not feeling well in the middle of the night. Any other time a coughing restless night would not have undone me but at that particular moment I crumbled. It was one of those moments I felt the most incapable and the task insurmountable. I first felt ashamed that I crumbled and couldn’t stop crying because of this when somewhere out there someone else is holding a child who is dying and mine only has a flu bug. But at that moment it was the feather tipping my scale and everything was tumbling over.
We just don’t know what little bit of extra pressure is going to tip someone’s scale. We don’t know the true weight of the burdens they are carrying. I try to hold a picture in my mind of a scale when I feel myself slipping towards apathy and a hardened heart. It isn’t always easy; I am a flawed person prone to making quick assumptions.
Makes me extremely thankful that God isn’t that way with me!
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6:15 PM, 2007-Nov-1 .. Posted by Laura @ the Peanut PatchIt's all about perspective, isn't it? We are so blessed to have a Father to forgive us, and even more blessed to have husbands who love us regardless of our shortcomings.
Still keeping ya'll in prayer. Peace to you and yours...
Blessings!
Untitled Comment
6:43 PM, 2007-Nov-1 .. Posted by LynneAmy,
You are such a wonderful writer! I think this is your best writing yet. So true!
I hate to be so negative, but I have a bad feeling that our economy is sinking fast and a lot of layoffs, families in financial trouble, etc. are just around the corner. I do hope you use your wonderful writing skills to help people with what you have learned. You certainly are doing a great job of controlling your budget and managing your finances now. Your weekly grocery lists with costs are so motivating to me.
Happy birthday (times two) this weekend!
Very thought provoking..........
6:51 AM, 2007-Nov-2 .. Posted by gokings13We have all read that verse. We all know in our hearts what it means.........
But when you say **I now realize the scale is personalized for me only- and I cannot put someone else’s problems on my scale to weigh their worth.**
For me personally, that is where I get 'tripped up'. I think"well....I have been thru this or I have learned that.......why don't YOU get it, or why don't YOU understand it, why can't YOU see it!!".
And that is me, using my 'scale' designed for me alone, to measure them. Shame shame......
I get frustrated when I have come through something and others can't do the same...or they do it slower, or differently, or not at all........but it's not for me to say! It's not for me to call! It's not for me to decided how God deals with another.....even if our situations mirror each other, we are individually and uniquely created!!
Maybe that is why Jesus said " 1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:1-2)
Personally that is scary. I use a pretty harsh scale sometimes.......Jesus talked so much about "dishonest scales" in the OT.......and now again in the NT, He's talking about scales.....
I thought about this post all night last night.....
It goes along with what I am learning at BSF in the book of Matthew.......
Thank you.
Laura
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