Rhonnie Scheuerman’s Inspiration Station For All In Need This Morning

You Never Know

“The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” ( For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” John 4:9-10

An old Sawyer Brown song entitled “They Don’t Understand,” tells the story of three situations. The first is a woman on a city bus with children who are being fussy. People stared and judged her as if this was something she allowed. Yet what they were not aware of was that the children’s dad had passed away that night after a long battle with illness.

The second situation is of an older man driving slowly on the interstate. People honked and sped by angrily. The man had lost his wife, and his children no longer made time for him, leaving him exhausted and alone.

The final situation is of a man hanging on a cross. People stared, and said he does not even have a prayer. What they did not understand is that man was hanging on that cross to save the world. The point of the song is to convey the importance of caring for our neighbor because we do not always know what they are going through. We need to slow down our lives, realize there is more in this world than just ourselves, and give more time to caring for our neighbor. Nobody took the time to care for the woman at the well. Nobody took the time to get to know her. Yet everybody had the time to judge her. Instead of judging her, Jesus shared the gospel with her. “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

Think about different situations in your life. Perhaps a person cuts you off on your drive to work. Do you give them a dirty look? Or do you wonder if they might be driving their child to the hospital? Do you assume the homeless man on the street is lazy? Or do you wonder if something traumatic in his life caused him to live on the streets? It is important to stop and take the time to show compassion. You never know what your neighbor might be going through.

Prayer Heavenly Father,

please help us to show compassion to our family and friends without judgment

Amen