August 17th, 2015
We see other people not as they are but filtered through our expectations of them. We pull up behind a big, loud pickup truck with obscene bumper stickers and empty beer cans visible in the rear window and we are sure we know the kind of person driving that vehicle. Suddenly the driver steps out and walks toward us. It’s our best friend! Our mood changes our heart opens, we welcome the contact.
“Why are you driving that? ” we ask. ” Oh, I just needed a truck to deliver food to the homeless and I borrowed this from a neighbor.” We quickly forget the truck and all of our assumptions and hug our friend.
If we knew right from the start that our friend was driving that truck we never would have assumed anything negative about who was driving that truck. It’s when we didn’t know who was inside that we started to judge.
It doesn’t matter what the outside of someone looks like. It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside. All that matters is the person inside.
Now you may never get the opportunity to see who is driving the obnoxious vehicle in front of you but don’t be too quick to judge them badly. Your judging won’t make a lick of difference to them but it will make a difference to how open your heart is. Keep an open heart and an open mind and expect friends to pop out of the most unlikely vehicles.
(c)2015 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
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