Judge Not

It was a busy day at the amusement park. We were standing in line for the swings behind a lady and her two sons when I happened to overhear the kid operating the ride ask the lady in a low, secretive voice, "So, you wanna ride twice?" She nodded. He says, "Okay, just stay on the ride." 

My immediate thoughts are-- wait, wait, WHAT! Are you KIDDING ME? He's gonna let them ride twice?! Look at this line! We’ve all been waiting! I bet that's HER son working, and he's gonna give his family special privileges! Does he do this with other people? That is breaking rules, come on!

When you start judging someone on ONE thing, it's so easy to judge them on another thing, and pretty soon you think you have their WHOLE LIFE figured out.

Let me tell you what happened next.

The worker opens the gate, lets this lady in, and shuts the gate. Huh?

Then he opens the exit. And in comes a man, pushing a teen boy in a wheelchair with obvious mental and physical impairments. 

And suddenly it becomes clear. 

The woman in front of me, the woman I so easily criticized, is his mother. That is her other son. This is her family, doing what they can to enjoy the limited rides they can ride together. I stand in line with my children who are capable of standing in line themselves, while she stands in line, waiting for her boy who cannot.

Together this woman and her husband strain to lift his lanky body out of the wheelchair and place him in a swing. It takes some effort, and as everyone watches, it goes quiet. When their son is finally settled in, they shift his wheelchair to the side, and the worker opens the gate to let everyone else on the ride. 

And I am near tears, ashamed at myself.

I wanted to tell them- YES! Of course you can ride twice! Please ride three times! Four! I am so sorry for making assumptions! 

I’d judged them all in a couple of minutes!

I’d been critical and annoyed at a situation I did not understand. 

It was eye opening. I have work to do. It reminded me to watch my thoughts.  It reminded me that I am NOT as non-judgmental as I think I am. It reminded me to be more kind, more patient, more gracious, more compassionate.

“Judge not,” said Christ.