Ew, Girl Stop...

I was scrolling through facebook the other day and I came across an arrest of a woman, who I know has two children, for drinking and driving. Instantly, I thought to myself, YOU ARE A MOTHER! How are you getting arrested? Who is supporting your children while you are getting arrested? Why were you not reading them a bedtime story that night before bed? Who was planning and making the family dinner? Why wasn’t she loving on them instead of being out drinking? I felt anger for her children.. Children who I didn’t even know personally.

I walked in the other room and started telling my husband about it and he quickly reminded me that people MAKE MISTAKES. I just looked at him and thought, Wow! HOW can you not see the problem here? How could he not be sad for those children who are without their mother for however long she will be in jail?

BUT… before I could even respond to him, it clicked. I was placing judgement on someone without even realizing it.

Instantly I said to myself, ew.. girl.. you have GOT to stop this. This is not the way. I have no idea what happened to that mother to make her drink that day. Maybe she was fighting with her partner or spouse, maybe she had a horrible day at work dealing with crappy people, maybe she just had a loved one pass away… there could be so many reasons why she felt that she needed that drink.

See, me loving Jesus doesn’t mean I am perfect. My walk with Christ is a journey that is never ending. It ebbs and flows. I fall short on a daily and I unintentionally stray away from Gods plan for me/us. I make mistakes that I’m not proud of. I am human.  We all are, no one is perfect.

When reading that article I should have thought, this mother is obviously really struggling with something. I need to pray for her and her family. I did end up praying for her and them.

But the point is, my first reaction was judgement without even realizing it and that is what I’m still working on.