Through the Window, I See

 

I did not write this. I saw this on social media a few years ago and today, I was reminded of it. In my five decades on Earth, these past couple of years have been the absolute worst as far as human character. People are very quick to judge and people are very easily "offended". Surely, the end is near because I don't see how we can go on much longer.

Here is the story...

A young couple moved into a new neighborhood.

The next morning while they were eating breakfast, the young woman saw her neighbor hanging the washing outside.

"That laundry is not very clean; she doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."

Her husband looked on, remaining silent.

Every time her neighbor hung her washing out to dry, the young woman made the same comments.

A month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband, "Look, she’s finally learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?"

The husband replied, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows."

And so it is with life… What we see when watching others depends on the clarity of the window through which we look.

So don’t be too quick to judge others, especially if your perspective of life is clouded by anger, jealousy, negativity or unfulfilled desires.

Judging a person does not define who they are. It defines who you are. 

Gleaning Like Ruth

 

This week I have been pondering the story of Ruth. Mostly I have been praying for my daughter and believing Ruth 2:12 for her and asking that Our Father in Heaven would reward her for turning to him and being forced into a new life, a new beginning that she did not plan on.

But I have also been digging into the idea of gleaning in the field. For several years, I have felt in my spirit that God was going to bless me with a wide open space. Sometimes in the various psalms, I have read it as a broad place. When I have felt entrapped and closed into a dark pit, I remember this wide open place and long for it.

This week, I envisioned it again as a field, a big open field I have been brought to so that I can glean all day long until the evening just like Ruth. What am I gleaning? God's word. I am pouring into the Bible and writing notes and seeking the Lord. Charles Spurgeon phrased it this way: To glean in this field is to read the word, to pray, to meditate. He even says that we should be careful not to drop what we have just gleaned and strive to RETAIN as much as we strive to OBTAIN. I think this is where my notes will help me. I can go back and read them again, these lovely lessons and stories and words from My Heavenly Father.

And then what? What will I choose to do with all of what I have gleaned? Where do I go from here? What plans are there for me or my family? I don't want to just gather for nothing. I want to do something with all of this which I am gleaning.

Today I was reminded that God gives grace to the humble. It takes humility to go and glean in the field. It requires stooping down like Ruth and working diligently to seek God's word. I have seen some folks in these past couple of months who have chosen to walk in great spiritual pride and the result is that they, in their superior attitude, choose to condemn and judge instead of love. I do not want to do this. I want to stoop down and work hard to seek my Lord. I want to give up on any idea that I am special and just let Him be glorified. I am fine to do the work. My struggle has always been to think like Solomon and wonder if it's all a great exercise in futility. Vanity of vanities!

But today I must remember that just like Ruth worked hard, stooping in that wide open field, I can do so also. I can glean from the promises of God in that wide open space and then I can go and feast upon them so that I gain strength and with that strength, I can go back out in the morning and glean again.

May I stay hungry. May I stay diligent. May I glorify my Father in Heaven by humbly seeking Him every single day of the rest of my life.