There's Always a Story

THERE’S ALWAYS A STORY
Whenever you are quick to make a judgment about what someone is doing that you cannot figure out…remember… “there is always a story.” When you stop and find out what caused someone to do what they did, compassion replaces judgment and anger. I heard a story told by a religious leader in our church, that caused him to ponder the reality of this idea. He was in his car and accidentally bumped, barely, the backend of someone’s car. He was surprised when the man got out of his car and unleashed every foul word imaginable upon him. The next Sunday, he was also surprised to see this man in the congregation where he was about to give a talk. After the meeting, the man came up to apologize for his outrageous behavior.... and then continued to explain that at the time his car was bumped, he was just in the middle of trying to figure out how to tell his children, when he got home, that their mother had just died. When his car was bumped, it was the last straw for him, and therefore, the unleashing…… when the “story” was revealed behind the man’s actions, understanding and compassion replaced all the initial surprise. “There is always, always a story.” Take time to listen to it, first. God told us to leave all judgment to him….when I think about why he asked us to do this…I think of all the stories behind why I do things, my children do things…all people….and even if we try to figure out their stories, we really don’t know anyone’s “real” story….God alone knows our true history…letting go of judging from our limited perspective is so liberating… and realizing that we are all in the hands of God, thankfully, allows us to let go and love, just love, without judgment…and the stories of people’s lives can be allowed to be written more beautifully, with our love supporting them, without interference.