My Culture Encounter

I realize I have done my share of making other people feel less worthy just because I didn't feel like they followed my interpretation of gospel principles and the way I believed we should all perform, but right now I want to use an example of when someone did it to me.

I was shopping at the grocery store and stocking up on case goods. As I pulled out a opened-ended case of stewed tomatoes, the cans went tumbling all over the aisle. I was quickly gathering them up as an elderly woman went past me and with a snooty, judgmental voice said, "If you canned your own tomatoes that wouldn't have happened to you."

Now I am really not holding it against her and I do hope her head heals after I threw that can at her (kidding!), but it really made me realize what I can do to others as I hold people up to and judge according to my standards and preferences. I loved it when Sherri Dew spoke at women's conference and said that she feels like judgment day will probably be a breeze after what we women have done to each other.

I ask forgiveness of anyone that I have judged and made feel less than. In defense of anyone who bottles their own tomatoes. I think that is great and know first hand how rewarding and healthy it is to raise and bottle my own fruits or vegetables. But it can also be just as satisfying to find the cases on sale at the grocery store and then have extra time to rescue all the homeless cats in the city.