Do you have a judging personality trait? Sadly, sometimes I do. My biggest downfall is often the grocery store. There’s always the person who leaves her cart right in the middle of the aisle while scanning the shelves for a particular item. Then there’s the loud, animated talker on his phone, having a great time but not the least bit interested in his spouse, who is trying to corral two young children. And don’t you hate it when the person who’s bagging your groceries puts multiple items on top of your carton of eggs? Sometimes I wonder why there aren’t fatalities in a grocery store!

Seriously, I think about the “judging” trait…a lot. While the only one qualified to judge is God, we still lay claim to it. I heard a Christian song once that offered the solution to judging: Put yourselves in the other person’s shoes, admit that we’re all different, and call on the grace of God to understand each other’s hearts!

Call on the grace of God…that is the answer to everything, isn’t it? We can do nothing in this life without seeing each other through the eyes of God. And, by the way, the annoying loud-talker guy I mentioned earlier that was no help to his wife? He checked out right before me, and he couldn’t have been more polite to the cashier! I judged him, and God reminded me…there’s always hope when we seek the heart of God.

About the author: Previously the priest at St. Francis of Assisi in Lake Placid for 21 years, Rev. Elizabeth L. Nelson is now the Priest at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in LaBelle.