What makes you tick?

What floats your boat? What puts a smile on your face?  How would an acquaintance describe you? How would your spouse describe you? What would your closest friend say about you? Are you everything that meets the eye? Have you ever thought a person is one way and then once you get to know that person she is not that way at all?

I have been told before that I come across as being very prim and proper and generally having my act together. Just typing that makes me chuckle! Anyone who really knows me knows that I am anything but "prim and proper." And, if I have an "act" I definitely do not know where I put it! I am the person who misses the chair when she goes to sit down. (I really shouldn't have a rolling desk chair!) I am the person who trips over her own two feet while walking in high heels through Wal-Mart in small town Oklahoma where people know who she is! My husband considers me humble because when one of those really embarrassing moments happen, I laugh. And, I don't just mean that I laugh. I heehaw and snort and if there is liquid anywhere close it typically comes spewing out of my mouth and . . .umm . . . my nose!

I have noticed that people in general are so quick to judge. Within a couple of minutes of meeting someone, I typically have that person "summed up" if I intend to or not. Why do I do that? So often, the person doesn't turn out to be at all how I have envisioned in my mind.

Last week, my kids and I had the blessing of tagging along with my husband while he traveled to New York City for a conference. (I can't ever say or type New York City without thinking of the Pace Picante Sauce commercial screaming, "New York City"!) While there, we had the additional blessing of going to Broadway to see Wicked. It was so much fun! We thoroughly enjoyed it, although, it was not at all what I expected. I knew that it had something to do with The Wizard of Oz, but really didn't know the story line. I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it and wish to do so, but who knew? It is definitely the perfect portrayal of "you can't judge a book by its cover"!

God has a few words to say about that judging stuff. In the book of Matthew in the New Testament of the Bible Jesus is quoted as saying:

"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."  Matthew 7:1-5

Whoa! Really? Jesus said that? It really makes you stop and think, doesn't it? Or at least it does me! I know that I prefer for people to give me the benefit of the doubt. I pray that I do the same.

May there be JOY in not being the judge!

Tami