Keep in mind: Everyone Has a Story

Everyone Has A Story

My youngest son has diverse tastes in music. His playlists include Fats Domino, Johnny Cash, Michael Jackson, Hall and Oates, and Lecrae. He doesn’t judge by genre or voice but by the music’s ability to make him happy.  This attitude seeps into his relationships as well. He has friends of varied ethnicities and scholastic performance, and he consistently reaches out to kids who are alone.  He is known for his smile and usually looks for the best in people. 

I could learn a lot from the way he perceives and treats others. While I don’t hold a gavel, I judge more than I should. Over time, God has brought me to a place of deeper compassion, as I’ve learned from my personal and family struggles that everyone has a story. It’s often hidden by behaviors that mask the pain, but it’s there.

My co-worker who votes Democrat, and the one who votes Republican. My neighbor who follows Christ, and the self-proclaimed atheist. The friend I love spending time with and the acquaintance who annoys me most. A classmate who enjoyed a wholesome childhood and the one who endured brokenness.  A wealthy executive and the homeless man I pass on the street.

Each of us is too complex to be taken at face value. And while the life-changing power of Christ helps us move beyond victimhood in our circumstances, it is his mercy that enables us to see the humanity in others who remain, sometimes unknowingly, chained to the consequences of past pain. If I truly allow God’s grace to permeate my entire being, knowing it is completely undeserved, then how can I not extend it to others? This requires setting aside preconceived notions about each person God puts in my path, and giving them my full attention.

When I am most like Jesus, I am present with others. He saw through their behaviors, façade, and hurt. Lepers, prostitutes, the wealthy and poor, political enemies, religious leaders, the doubters, the faith-filled, the half-hearted, children, adults, and friends. He was continually present. He listened. He loved. He encouraged. He touched. He washed their feet, including those of the man on whom he would build his church, and those of the man who would betray him. Then he told us to do the same.

Scripture says God puts eternity in the hearts of man. I wonder if it’s not just so we can see past our present circumstances but also those of others. The foot of the cross is level ground.  It is there we all realize our brokenness and find healing. So today, I’m asking myself who I can be present with, listen to, love on, encourage, or wash their feet – not because I think they’ve earned it, but because they’re worth it to Jesus.