Before I was a mom, I would see a woman with one or two or three young children in a grocery store completely lose it with one of the kids, and I would think to myself, "I would NEVER do that to one of my children."
Black and white. I'm right, you're wrong.
Then I became a wife and a mother. Now when I see a couple interacting with one another, instead of quickly determining my superiority, I wonder what pain or struggles have lead to the interaction I'm witnessing. When I see a mom at the end of her rope, I empathize knowing that being the end-all be-all to a little one can drain even the strongest, most loving mom.
My black and white has started to gray along with my hair. At one point in my life, I would have called myself wishy-washy or a hypocrite--and I'm not foolish enough to think others won't see me that way. But I don't feel that way about myself.
Now, please, don't get me wrong. I still have some very strong black and white lines. Sex offenders--especially those who harm children--are disgusting pieces of slime who should be buried under a jail. Thankfulness is not an option in life, it's a must. And Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and I'm proud of that fact even if He isn't always proud of me.
There are some issues, though, I'm not clear on. And on those issues, I'm willing to listen to the arguments. I'm not saying I will agree with some one's opinion on a matter, but I will try and respect that opinion and try to see the other person's point of view.
Will I always be perfectly open-minded in every situation? Nope. I'm not idiotic nor narcissistic enough to think I will ever be perfect in any area of my life, especially one in which there will always be a great deal of emotion involved. But, like everything else in my life, I will do my absolute best.
“The first duty of love is to listen.”
Paul Tillich
1 comment:
Right on, Sister!
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