True Stories I Wish I Never Heard…God Forgive Them!

The lady who repeatedly goes to the recently divorced mother and always asks “Where are your children today?” Note: Divorced parents often share custodial time with their children, particularly on weekends and holidays. Don’t be so insensitive as to keep asking the same question when to explain it all over again is already painful to the parent and often just plain cruel.

The preschooler’s mother who sends emails to a dozen of her children’s former classmates informing them that her child is now in the “smart class” at preschool and theirs are in the “dumb class” because the classroom supply list for her child’s room says to bring a pencil….which obviously means that her class will do advanced work that the others won’t do because a pencil is not on their supply list. Note: Many teachers supply the pencils for their students. This mother obviously is not headed to the “brilliant class” herself.

A church usher asks the same man every week…”What is your name?” Note: The usher may have a really poor memory or he may be asking only out of habit and the fact that he never bothers to really listen to the answer. If you don’t want to learn the names, don’t bother asking.

A church member voices an opinion that a certain person should not join because they are not “in a position” to contribute to the church. Note: Material contributions are not the only contributions people make. We are called to be stewards of all our gifts and chances are the person that has few physical possessions may be a person of great faith and witness to the church based upon their trust in God. For example, note the widow who Jesus commended as she gave her very last small coins. Also, Jesus described himself as “not having a place to lay his head.” Would you exclude him?

A person loudly asserts all individuals of a certain nationality to be “lazy.” Note: Caricatures of people groups are never true representations and rarely truthful in their often demeaning identifications. The last time I checked “laziness” seemed equally represented in every people group I could think of.

To see children playing whose only word to express their anxiety, their excitement, their amazement, or pretty much any other emotion…is to take the name of the Lord in vain. Note: Children do not learn in a vacuum. From television “comics”, to talk show hosts, to “movie stars”, to popular musicians, we see this disconnect with honoring God and having a worshipful attitude in the use of His name. In this case, no one blames the children, yet it does make you wonder what they hear at home.