The little things people say................... judgemental or not??

Today was an ordinary day. I went shopping and when they asked, "Plastic or paper?" I answered, "Paper, because I use it once for my bird cages and then use it again as mulch." The girl doing my groceries whom I know, said, " You are just a joy to be around!" I looked at her and said, " Is that a joke?" She said, " No, Anne, you are truly a joy to be around- you are always smiling and you do so much good in your little part of the world." I am telling you I almost hugged her. Life lately has been filled with some people saying some pretty ugly things to me, thinking I am off kilter, and picking me apart about truly STUPID THINGS. So when Patti said that today, I thought, " Thank you God for that nice compliment." You see, alot of people like to judge me without being here or without knowing my situation. If there is one personality aspect I HATE, it when people are judgmental. Jesus hated people judging others as well. The Pharisees were Jewish leaders of high standing in the Jewish community and they despised Jesus as they didn't believe He was the son of God. They tried to trap him in mind games, word games, and judged him unmercifally. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus spoke to this many times-

Matthew 7
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Luke 6:36-38 (New International Version)
36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

In Psalms and Proverbs, mention is made hundreds of times of the fact that God alone is the judge of the entire earth and all that inhabit it. Go read any Psalm and almost without fail, God as judge is mentioned.

This leads me to believe that when we judge others, especially without knowing the specifics of THEIR SITUATION, we are not pleasing God. It doesn't matter how often we go to church or how often we teach Sunday school and it doesn't matter how good we look on the outside. If we judge others, God will use that same measure (kind or not kind) to judge OUR ACTIONS.

It is not difficult for me to not judge others. My mother and father, while not perfect did drill one important thing into my head. "Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins." I think of that ALL THE TIME. I am not perfect, and I know I am NOT GOD. So when others make a judgement call about me or my life based on my blog, the fact that I have depression, or the way I dress or the number of animals I have, they are missing out on ME. That's sad. I tell my kids on a daily basis if they mention that someone is weird or scary or whatever, to remember that they don't know THE FIRST THING about that person's situation. That makes them stop and think, " Hmmm, maybe she dresses that way because she is depressed." or "Maybe his mom isn't home to wash his clothes and that's why he smells bad." In such a sad and miserable world, wouldn't it be nice if we could all just stop for a minute and put ourselves in other people's moccasins?? I am sure God would be pleased.