Lord, Help Me Remember
“Heavenly Father,
Help me remember that the jerk who cut me off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.
Bring to my mind often that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can’t make change correctly at McDonalds is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.
Remind me, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that I can only imagine in my worst nightmare.
Cause me to reflect that the old couple, walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.
Heavenly Father, remind me each day that, of all the gifts you give me, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those I hold dear.
Open my heart not just to those who are close to me, but to all humanity.
Let me be slow in judgment and quick with forgiveness and patience and empathy and love.
Amen.”
