Can you Change?

Have you ever been in line at the grocery store and the person in front of you has a cart full of groceries that you could only dream to buy, and then they pay with food stamps… Then you get this entitled feeling- Maybe you whisper something under your breath like “Must be nice to get free stuff” or “I work really hard and I can’t buy that stuff.” Whatever it is- I am guilty of this too. For years I believed that I was deserving of these things and I always had a negative mindset towards government help, maybe this is because throughout my life I have witnessed a few people “abuse” the system. Also, throughout my entire life I have heard people downgrade people that are on it… using the same words that I used.

AHA Moment- First I am just so thankful that I have a thirst for knowledge and a need to understand and change my point of view because I for one am saddened at my point of view that I had for years of my life and frankly a little embarrassed that I could judge so harshly.

Let me explain to you my mindset change- I spent sometime with a group of people that live a very different life than I live- Let me be clear it’s not better or worse just different. They had a few children and were doing what they could with what they had, but at the end of the day very different. The neighborhood was a little scary, the amount of things that we watched happen in the short span of time that we were there just got me thinking… The day to day that these kids are living is so completely different from the day to day that my kids are living. After leaving there I was driving with music up loud and I just started thinking and praying- I started asking God to open my eyes, open my heart, and open my mind. God can you just show me what you see. Lord please help me to understand this world just a little bit better. It was in that moment that I just started crying and it was like God had just lit up an abandoned warehouse. He just showed me that it’s not about what we don’t have or can’t provide for our families that the next person is getting, instead it’s this:

Think about your day to day that you show your children. What are constants in your children’s lives? Don’t all children deserve a constant something. Well, these kids the constant that they are getting is this food that is being provided and that my friends is a beautiful thing. Why do we get so upset when we see someone getting something that we think we aren’t getting? When we are already receiving daily grace. Aren’t we supposed to be Christians? Isn’t it our job to emulate the same love that our Heavenly Father gives us. We have all needed a helping hand in life maybe from a parent, relative, friend, or even a complete stranger. I bet we were over joyed at the thought and action being taken to help us.

Government resources are there for a reason, they are there too help and it is not up to us to judge or point blame to people that are in need in whatever capacity that is. Instead we should be focused on living the best life that we possibly can. If we all started focusing a little more on our own homes and own children I bet the world could be an even better place. I promise it is not these resources that is bankrupting our country-

There are people and I used to be one of them- Drug test before you give them help. Does that child not deserve to eat? Who are we to decide that? Also, prescription drugs are a real problem and they aren’t going to show up on a drug screen, so is it just people that smoke pot? They don’t get help? Those children should get the one constant taken away from them? They don’t deserve to eat because they have parents that make choices that are illegal?

We have bigger fish to fry in our country than worrying about whether or not these people are getting “free aid” it’s not about them it’s about the children. Take a moment and think about that for a second.

Focus on what is happening in your four walls- What would you do if you lost everything tomorrow and had to be the one asking for help? What would you do if you were standing there in line with your name brand clothes and fancy car and someone pointed and laughed or downgraded you? How would it feel? I promise there has been a time that someone somewhere has helped you without judgement. You didn’t wake up where you are on your own.

Be a bright shining light in this dark world- Instead of pointing and casting judgement- because as we all know the picture isn’t up or down it’s a mess. The picture is messy! There isn’t a right or wrong answer, but instead just answers that come from opinions that have been ingrained in your head from the time you were little. Are you willing to change your thoughts? Are you willing to turn the page and see deeper into a situation because we just start throwing stones that will break us too?

We are all sinners, we are all broken, and we are all in need of help. Thankfully, we all have a Father that loves us unconditionally even when we mess up and always welcomes us home no matter what! Can we start emulating that type of love to the people around us. Can we stop pointing in judgement?