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Heartwings Love Notes 869 - Judge Not

Heartwings says, "There's a fine line between observing and judging."

As stated in Mathew 7, during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "Judge not that ye be not judged." And he goes on to say (as I have paraphrased it) that before we do that we need to look to our own selves to see how innocent we may be of what we are criticizing. It's been my experience that those things that annoy me most are often those things that I may be guilty of myself.

If I am paying attention, I can take the opportunity this gives me to look at my annoyance as a reminder of my own issues rather than feeling superior about someone else's faults. Like most if not all of us I have been there and done that and perhaps even realized afterward that I too am guilty of the same. It is usually easier to see the faults of others than to turn the searchlight on our wn.

There is another road I can take and that is observing without actually making a judgment. I must do this carefully, with a sense of detachment. For instance, if I see someone behaving in a way that seems to me to be rude, I can view the potential rudeness simply as this person's actions, or I can see them in a critical light. If I did these things, I would consider them to be rude. However, perhaps the person in question simply doesn't know any better.

Unwitting rudeness happens frequently with children. I remember one of my daughters at 3 looking at her grandmother and saying. "Why are you so fat?" The poor woman was quite taken aback. She sputtered a bit then smiled and changed the subject. Children can be tactless. Later they may learn that this kind of behavior is not viewed kindly. I know even as an adult I have been guilty of it. As a result, when I am with someone whose actions seem to be inappropriate I hope to see their behavior as a result of ignorance.

Learning as I go I hope to be as nonjudgmental as I can. Having grown up with prejudices inherited from my judgmental mother and father, in order to encounter these I observe myself in action as I am able and I do not judge myself. Life is a wonderful teacher. As I move through each day I find numerous opportunities to enhance my knowledge as well as refine my responses. It's a kind of game I play. If I do not judge myself I will be less judgmental of others. Despite what they might have said or done, when I don't judge them I can see them more clearly and with kinder eyes.

May you find yourself improving day by day.

PS Have you checked out my new book, Up to my Neck in Lemons on Amazon? It’s a collection of poetry, recipes and love notes to do with resolving some of life's dilemmas in a positive way. Hope you do and maybe buy a copy.

I love to hear from readers and would be honored if you would comment and let me know any suggestions or thoughts. If a friend sent you this, you can sign up at my web site, www.heartwingslovenotes.com, where more love notes can be found in the archives.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

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