We see them every day,every where on everything.
It's no wonder that they kind of fade into the background. We see them on our clothes, our towels, on the back of cars, in an organized pantry. I remember when the label was just a little tag on the inside of the garment, now they cover the entire front. we look for specific labels for different reasons, some we need, some we want and some we want to stay far away from.
People are labeled too. We run around slapping labels on everyone all over town, so fast that we are off to the next person before we really look at them. Just gotta get that label on.
I see when I close my eyes a video I wish I could create, and maybe some one allready has, but I see this person sticking labels on everyone on the street, it looks like this.
*Young girl on the city bus looks tired and her hair is a mess- labeled with 'up all night partying'
*Teen Mom buying diapers-labeled 'slut'
*Professionally dressed woman in line at the coffee shop talking loudly on her cell, closing a deal, looks at you like you are nothing compared to her- labeled ' shrewd, rude and arrogant'
*The 'soccer' Mom with her brand new SUV,designer clothes, handbags perfect hair, always happy, well I'd be happy to if I had her life, I heard about her expensive home, her wealthy husband and her well behaved kids- labeled ' lap of luxury'
*Rowdy kids getting in trouble at the park, thinking they are up to no good, probably using- labeled " wothless kids, hoodlums'
*Man sleeping on the street - labeled 'seriously? get a job'
The list goes on, I see cars racing by, people without faces wearing signs that say,
SCANDAL, CHEATER, LIAR, FRAUD, GUILTY,
and if I look through those words I see these words on top of those,
HELPLESS, HOPELESS, SCARED, LONELY, UNLOVED, UNWANTED, UNWORTHY, SHAME,
Can we look through the labels and see the storys?
I see the same people as before, the young girl on the bus, she's tired because her parents are addicts, and the fighting went to far last night. she just a wants a place to find rest.
The teen Mom, she made the choice of choosing life when she went to the abortion clinic, and now where are the people to support her? She is just trying to do her best.
Lady at the coffee shop is rude and arrogant , all her life she was told she would never amount to much, now she takes control to prove them and herself she can be successful, she just didn't realize it would isolate her and she'd be lonely.
The soccer Mom is suffocating inside, they are in debt and her husband is never home, her smile is fake and she dosen't know how much longer she can go on.
The rowdy kids at the park, that's all they know. There is no one at home to guide them , teach them and show them love. Parents are busy, working , working, working. Or one of the parents have just up and left, leaving them feeling abandoned and unloved.
Man on the street, maybe he is an addict, but why? What led him to that point? Do you care to know? Does it matter? Maybe he just lost his wife and everything in his life. Maybe he is mentally ill and is lost in more ways than we know possible. Does it matter as to why?
If we stopped for just a moment and saw ourselves in a mirror for who we really are what would we see? What labels are we wearing? Be honest. Would they saw JUDGEMENT, CONDEMN, RIDICULE, SLANDER, HARSH, ANGER?
Can we look past the labels we create? See the storys. Replace the labels with words of kindness.
Then take these words of KINDNESS and turn them into ACTIONS of LOVE.
Because when it comes right down to it, we all want the same thing, we all want to feel apart of something, we all want to be loved and actually feel that love, and if you're like me, you just want to have a hug.
Seems pretty easy to me so why is it so hard?
Jesus calls us to love and to even entertain strangers. Here's a verse verses to ponder.
Luke 6:35
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Proverbs 16:7
When a man's ways please the LORD,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Colossians 3:12
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
Hebrews 13:2
2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
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