Lessons - Never Judge

"Some People!" snorted a man standing behind me in the long line at the grocery store. "You would think the manager would pay attention and open another line", a woman said.

I looked to the front of the line to see what the hold up was and saw a well dressed, young woman, trying to get the machine to accept her credit card. No matter how many times she swiped it, the machine kept rejecting it.

"It's one of them welfare card things. Darn people need to get a job like everyone else", said the man standing behind me.

The young woman turned around to see who had made the comment.

"It was me", he said, pointing to himself.

The young lady's face began to change expression. Almost in tears, she dropped the welfare card onto the counter and quickly walked out of the store. Everyone in the checkout line watched as she began running to her car. Never looking back, she got in and drove away.

Several minutes later a young man walked into the store. He went up to the cashier and asked if she had seen the woman. After describing her, the cashier told him that she had run out of the store, got into her car, and drove away.

"Why would she do that?" asked the man. Everyone in the line looked around at the fellow who had made the statement. "I made a stupid comment about the welfare card she was using...something I shouldn't have said. I'm sorry", said the man.

"Well, that's bad, real bad, in fact. Her brother was killed in Afghanistan two years ago...he had three young children and she has taken responsibility for them. She's only 20 years old, single, and now has three children to suppport." He said in a very firm voice.

This story goes on, and the people in line all chip in to buy her groceries. Things like this always make me think about making snap judgements, which I am often guilty of doing. I pray that God gives me a pure heart that is not quick to judge.