Stop it!

The other day as I was driving down the freeway, minding my own business, a car came barreling up behind me.  The car got right close up to my back bumper and swerved around me at the last minute and then proceeded to lay on the horn.  As the car drove past me, I looked over to see who could be so angry and to my surprise, I saw a really darling looking girl in the drivers seat.  While she looked darling, she had the most disgusting scowl on her face and was screaming something at me from where she was sitting.  I honestly was in shock, I couldn't believe that she was really so upset at me that I was in the right hand lane, going the speed limit, and she had to go around me.

I was kind of bugged there for a minute, like really bugged.  To the point I wanted to yell something back at her just to make myself feel better.  Then I got to thinking... I shouldn't take it personal.  She is probably having a bad day.  She is probably stressed.  She has probably filled her plate so full that she is stress-fully driving to her next destination that she is late for.  Maybe someone in her family is hurt.  Maybe she is going through a really hard trial right now.  It wasn't directed at me personally, she is probably just having a really bad day, week or maybe even year.  Who knows.  But what I do know is I need to forgive and forget.

I should take the high road.

How often do we fill our plates so full and say "yes" to everything that we don't quite make enough time for the things that matter most?  How often do we hold on to something someone said/did/is doing and let it eat us alive??  How often do we hold grudges?  How often do we take things so personally that we "dislike" people for maybe having an off day?  How often do we judge someone without really knowing their intent or their heart?

I know I have filled my plate too full at times.  I know I have said hurtful things to people unintentionally.  I know I have held onto something someone said or did.  I know I have judged too quickly.

Could I have judged that girl in the car that day and said, "Man, she is a horrible person and is such a brat."  or "She is so mean and ALWAYS does hurtful things."  or "That girl yells and does rude faces to people all the time." or "She's just a mean person at heart."

Yes i could have... but truth is, most people have off days sometimes.  Most people say hurtful things sometimes.  Most people aren't perfect people.  None of us are perfect.  No one.

President Uchtdorf sums this up best....

"This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:

Stop it!

It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters. I don’t know exactly how to articulate this point of not judging others with sufficient eloquence, passion, and persuasion to make it stick. I can quote scripture, I can try to expound doctrine, and I will even quote a bumper sticker I recently saw. It was attached to the back of a car whose driver appeared to be a little rough around the edges, but the words on the sticker taught an insightful lesson. It read, “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.”

(Seems President Uchtdorf had a similar experience as me.  I even read this quote after i started this post.)

We are all trying to navigate our way throughout this life and we all have different and unique trials we have to deal with.  We are all blessed with different talents and gifts and we shouldn't be jealous of another person because they are different than us.  We need to stop thinking someone is trying to hurt us when they probably aren't.  We need to be happy for people.  We need to be genuinely happy for the good things that happen in someones life, even if they aren't happening for us... because they may be going through something that we can't see either.  

Give people the benefit of the doubt.  Assume the good and doubt the bad.

We all have something great to add to this world and we should love ourselves for that.  Stop comparing, stop judging, stop gossiping and just be kind. 

"If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back!"

I'm sorry if I've ever hurt/offended/gossiped or done any other hurtful thing to anyone.  I really did not intend to hurt anyone.  Please forgive me from the bottom or my heart if I have!

Let's just be kind to each other, we are all facing some sort of battle.