Photo Credit: xedos4 from FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I’m the kind of gal who has no problem sitting at a bar by myself or eating in a restaurant alone. Truth be told, I may actually prefer it because I can then indulge in one of my favorite pastimes: people watching.
It’s not just the quirky behaviors of others that mesmerize me; I often fixate on the staggering diversity of physical features within the human species. Tall people and squat people and pointy-nosed people, oh my!
However, the danger in this sport is its gateway nature, potentially leading straight into judgment. For me, it’s hard to stop at the act of observation and not continue on to pass a critique. While I may not be saying, “OMG, Becky. Look at her butt, it’s like so out there!” I do often find myself thinking: “What a strange…” or “How weird?” or, “Isn’t that goofy-looking!” And it’s second nature; I do it automatically.
Heck, even at mass the corner of my eye (while I’m supposedly deep in prayer) is monitoring the aisle and wondering, “Who belongs to those squishy ankles?” “Why would she wear such inappropriate heels to church?” “Doesn’t he know it’s 40 degrees outside? Who wears sandals in this weather?!”
Then the other day, I felt a gentle nudge from God. Not a wrathful God warning me about the ills of passing judgment. But a quiet, compassionate God who reminded me I don’t know everything. And how often do we humans forget that!
Me, the one who can be so accepting of diversity in skin color or religion or sexual orientation couldn’t get out of my own way to also be accepting of people with “funny walks” or “weird eyes that don’t match” or “triangle butts.” I had to question why I would let somebody’s derriere stand in the way of my closeness to God.
Responding to that gentle urging, I started to look anew at one of my favorite hobbies. Sort of like runners trading in their cushioned kicks for a barefoot jaunt, I decided to use my people watching to appreciate the glory, grace and creativity of God. Look at all the types of people He made, every single one unique. Look at all the different bums! And somehow, this release of judgment on others, this openness to all shapes and sizes has made my inner critic a bit more compassionate as well. Maybe even a bit more grateful that God gave me a body shaped exactly like this, for He knew it was perfect in every way for the tasks He was going to ask of me. Which includes being accepting of others.
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