Life is so much simpler when I give a little grace to those I meet
whose stories have not yet been told.
In whose shoes I have never walked.
God loves them just as much as He does me.
Give a little grace . . . to the couple who walks into church without any little feet following them. There is no way you can know the pain they live with everyday when their prayers for a child go unanswered.
Give a little grace . . . to the lady who doesn’t like to garden. She has not committed any sin and does not deserve your disdain. She spends more time helping others in the church than you do, but you didn’t stop to think about that, now did you?
Give a little grace . . . to the mama who chooses not to breastfeed her tiny newborn. You have no idea how many hours she agonizingly tried to nurse the little baby and how many tears she sobbed because she couldn’t. You – who nursed a dozen children – will never know her pain.
Give a little grace . . . to the minister’s wife who forgot to shake your hand at church. She was probably tired from spending all of yesterday helping her husband deal with a need in the church. Don’t make it another issue for them to deal with.
Give a little grace . . . to the lady you see weeping in the grocery store – right in front of the coffee section. It could be that her husband left her last week or her son was diagnosed with leukemia. You don’t know her story, so don’t criticize it.
Give a little grace . . . to the mom whose children don’t wear name brand clothes. She’s probably doing her best to help her husband save money. She knows it’s the beautiful smiles on her children’s faces that most people will remember anyway.
Give a little grace . . . to the family who chooses to school their children differently than you. Every family has different needs and goals. It might be that you can learn how to improve your way by listening to them.
Give a little grace . . . to the woman who only has two children. Don’t be so quick to assume she has nothing to offer you in the way of advice. Someday your pride in your dozen kids might be what drives them away.
Give a little grace . . . to the wife who helps alongside her husband in his business – running errands, doing bookwork, or just giving him a hand. Chances are, she’d love to be sitting at home like you, but has chosen to support her husband this way. Don’t pity her or berate her man – instead she needs encouragement to support the love of her life.
Give a little grace . . . to the grief-stricken parents who have children that decided to leave home and God. Your children have not grown up yet, so keep your “advice” and criticism to yourself. For one moment, put yourself on their pathway and let the feeling of their grief overwhelm you.
Give a little grace . . . to the man on the street corner with raggedy britches and holey shoes. God’s love for him is so big, so huge, and so overwhelming. All he needs is for somebody to tell him.
Give a little grace . . . you never know how many hurts you can prevent by walking in another man’s shoes.
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Cara Lorenz says
This is beautiful, Kendra… and grace is such a beautiful thing!
Kathy Sadlier says
Thanks Kendra- I needed this.
Dan N Katie Troyer says
Thanks, I needed to hear that this morning!!!
Gertrude Miller Slabach says
Wonderful words -and so well written.
Twila Peachey Smucker says
Such a good reminder, Kendra! Thank you!
Danita says
Thank you, Kendra~
This is such a good reminder for me! Sounds similar to my breakfast conversation with my sweet Pete! We have no idea what someone else is going through. Oh to have the compassion of Jesus!
Delores says
Once while watching “19 Kids and counting” I asked the Lord “why can’t I be like her and give a soft answer”. Would you believe the Lord spoke to my heart and said “Judge not that you be not Judged” WOW that hit me, I had never thought I was judging her and myself. So what you say is so true, we have no reason to judge someone or compare someone to ourselves or to some standard the world has for this world.
We are only poor sinners saved by grace and doing the best we can to fill the calling the Lord has given us, to give grace whenever we can. Thank you for your words, God Bless
Kathryn says
Thank you so much for this reminder! We all need to show and be shown grace! We need to be sooo slow to judge! Billy Graham said that you should never judge a man unless you have walked a mile in his shoes! That is a very good bit of advice!!!! I try to follow! I love your blog!