When was the last time?

"Short, Tall, Skinny, Fat, Dark Hair, Light Hair, Red Hair, Dark Skin or Fair Skinned we are all JUST PEOPLE for crying out loud.. "

True, but if you were to describe any of these people to some one else, how would you do it?

Noting characteristics about some one is not passing judgement on them.

For the most part, I try to see past that stuff.  One of the most memorably sermons I heard as a child was that Jesus, when he returns, could be anyone you see.  He could be a cop, a nurse, a beggar.  I really took that to heart then.  And I've tried to carry it with me since then.

My challenge these days is to forgive people who I see doing something wrong.  You know, like the guy driving in the HOV lane who gets over behind me real quick when he sees the cop in front of me.  Part of me really really wanted him to get a ticket.  But then I reminded myself that I'm not the cop, and he may be doing something that's jerk-like, but maybe he's not really a jerk.  Or maybe he is.  But that's between him and his conscience, I guess. 

And, as far as I can tell, he would still be worthy of Jesus' love, so I have an obligation to do the same.

I think that we are really short changing ourselves by pre-judging folks based on some pre-conceived notion about how they are supposed to look.

I am so fortunate to have many people in my life that I call "My Friend" and every one of them adds something very special to my life and I would like to think that the same is true for them as well.  You just never know if the person you stop to say hello to may turn out to be your best friend that you know until your dying days.

There is no such thing as a "Throw Away" person

Remember that although the person next to you might appear to have it all together, they might be drowning and in dire need of nothing more than a kind word to help them find some firmer ground to stand on.

It's impossible not to notice physical characteristics like tall, short, blond, brown, fat, or skinny, but it's definitely possible for us not to judge them because of those characteristics.

I was actually talking to my fiance about this the other day because I've started to make an effort to smile at everyone I see.  If I'm out running, I'll smile and say hi to everyone I see out there.  Some people won't even look up and you and acknowledge that you're there.  That's kind of sad.  I've recently had some really nice conversations with two women (one in a Dunkin Donuts and the other in an elevator) due to the effort to reach out, smile, and talk to people. 

Yay!  I'm not the only one!  I'll talk to any- and everyone.  Elevators are great places.  So is the grocery store line, line at Starbucks, sinks at the bathroom, etc.  Sure, some people don't want to talk, but that's ok too. 

Seriously, everyone has hurts, everyone has some issue(s) they're working on, everyone has hopes and dreams and something valuable to contribute.