Recently, while I was supposed to be serving, I judged a
mother of twins. It was easy to judge this woman. Her babies’ clothes dirty,
tufts of hair ratty, noses runny.
The twins didn’t babble. They were old enough to talk in baby
speak. I know these things. I have kids. I teach kids. Instead, the twins stared.
The twins’ feet were covered in dirt from the day.
The mother allowed her babies to lick suckers, which
meant sticky fingers and shirts covered in goo.
Oh, and the mom didn’t bring enough diapers.
Did I have extra?
“No, sorry,” fake
sincerity oozing.
The truth was I couldn’t get beyond the feet, those
tiny, filth-caked feet. I mean, how much effort does it take to wipe two
pair of teeny feet?
I simmered as a question darted through my mind.
Do you know what’s
worse than dirty feet?
Um, fingers covered in sticky goo?
A dirty heart.
Oh.
My heart showed up to serve, but instead judged. My heart
longed to above all, love each other
deeply (1 Peter 4:8), but instead got stuck on the surface.
I desire for all to know the love of Jesus, but I prefer
if the “all” arrive cleaned-up, dusted off, and with clean feet.
Warm water and soap can bathe babies clean, but scrubbing off judgment takes serious work.
What about you? Have you noticed any part of your heart that needs scrubbing lately?
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14 comments:
Great post. I highly recommend Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. It's not an easy read; by the time I finished, I half wanted to jump off a cliff (haha), but he delves into a bunch of the sins with which we're more comfortable (judgmentalism, anxiety, anger, frustration etc.). He pretty much hit me upside the head on every page.
Very good...so convicting...
oh, this is a CONSTANT struggle for me. i think i'm so great, apparently.
I know-you are so right. Why is it so easy to judge others and not ourselves?? For me, checking my heart takes work and then I might have to deal with the mess I see...thanks for you post
Visiting from the High Calling today. Powerful thoughts here Amy. Truly it is easy to get fixated on something entirely human and lose our heart of service in the moment. What a great recognition you had. I had one last weekend that I just wrote about, it was the first time in awhile that I instinctually prayed without knowing what I was doing.
Great post!
i would start hemorrhaging if all the parts got scrubbed at one time. that's how many there are.
very convicting, and you are brave to put yours out there.
great challenge for all of us, and i'm sure we can all relate to this. also, i find it only takes a day or two. and i need reminded again. that's what the body is for, yes?
thanks for the reminder, friend
steph
Amy, it's so hard in our culture to not judge in this area when we have all the resources at our finger tips, but this certainly does not excuse our judgemental ways. I ALWAYS am telling my kids we have no right to judge for we already have a judge and we let Him do the job while we pray. So, yes, another GREAT post my friend.
Brandee,
Respectable Sins...it's written down. You know, because apparently, I think my sins are pretty darn acceptable.
Ugh, seeing into my heart sometimes is unbearable. down right painful. Great post and greaet reminder not to judge. I need reminded of that often!
Very convicting post. I see myself in this post way more than I would like. Thanks for the reminder.
Precious baby feet. As mom's it is hard to see that.
Glad you were listening to the Holy Spirit, Amy. It is really easy for me to become the judgemental older brother in the Prodigal Son story.
Thanks Amy. Judgment comes so easy sometimes and even when it's so plain to see..I miss what I need to see like you said in this post..it's the heart that counts.
Oh, it is so easy for me to do this - especially every time I go to Walmart, which is a place I don't even want to support but find myself in time and time again when we are strapped financially. This is good, A., really good.
Amy - First time to your blog today and I am loving it. I just posted my own version of mommy judgment yesterday. Oh how deep it runs!
Lindsy
www.wordfromthewallaces.blogspot.com
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