This short piece by an unknown writer on my school platform caught my attention:
*Walk gently in the lives of others, not all wounds are always visible…
The car in front of me was moving like a turtle and would not give way to me despite my constant honking!
I was about to lose my cool when I noticed the little sticker on the back of the car!
“I am physically disabled; please be patient”
And that changed everything!!
I immediately calmed down and slowed down!!
In fact, I have become a little more protective of the car and the driver!!!
I got home a few minutes late, but it was okay!
Then it occurred to me.
Would I have been more patient if there wasn’t a sticker?
Why do we need labels to be patient with people?
Would we be more patient and kind to others if people had stickers on their foreheads? Labels such as:
“I lost my job”
“I fight cancer”
“I suffer from emotional abuse,”
“I lost a loved one”
“I feel worthless” “financially bankrupt”
..and others!!
Everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing about. The least we can do is be patient, kind and compassionate.
Let’s respect the invisible labels!!
Knowing that each person carries multiple labels.
That’s why they say:…
Walk gently in the lives of others, not all wounds are always visible…*
Ephesians 4:29 paraphrased reads, “say only what helps, each word a gift.” As you live this day, realise that everyone you meet, you will leave either:
- better off;
- worse off; or
- unaffected.
Are we able to see them as opportunities instead of obstacles or obligations. Quoting from Bob Gass,
One leadership expert wrote: ‘One of the best things you can do for people – which also attracts them to you – is to expect the best of them. I call it putting a “10” on everyone’s head. It helps others think more highly of themselves, and at the same time it also helps you… Benjamin Disraeli, one of Britain’s finest prime ministers, put it this way: ‘The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.’ And you do that by appreciating, encouraging, and helping others to reach their potential. Napoleon described leaders as ‘dealers in hope’. He understood that hope is one of the greatest of all possessions’.
Can we start showing consideration and empathy to all that we come across? Selah.
Pastor Afolabi Oladele
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