THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

July 23, 2025

LIFE IN THE FOLD

Outward wounds are pretty obvious to see. A broken leg may result in someone being in a cast or walking with crutches. A broken arm may have a cast on it and be in a sling. A broken nose may be bruised and swollen.

There are some unseen wounds that you may not see, but you can tell that something is obviously wrong and hurting from their reactions. Broken ribs may cause a person to wince or groan when moving around. Back pain may cause a person to move very slowly and hold onto something when getting up or down; and they tend to hold their upper body as still as possible anytime they move.

But there are some wounds that are hidden inside and unseen. You may never know that anything is going on, because they may try to hide what is going on. But generally, there will be some type of reaction that is often misdiagnosed by people.

One of those things may be childhood trauma that will can cause ongoing issues. Some are able to overcome, and some not. Another may be a health diagnosis that is not obvious just by looking at someone, but there are many issues that that child/person is dealing with.

There have been times when I've seen a child misbehave or throw a tantrum or seem out of control and heard comments such as, "They just need to have their butt spanked!" or "Let me have them for a couple days and I could straighten them out!" or "They just need to be disciplined!" or "Those parents need to do a better job of taking care of their kids!" or "If they were my kid, I'd......".

What that person may not know is that the parents are doing everything possible to care for their child, but there are issues that are causing the child to behave as they do. Sometimes it may even be that the parents are at the end of their rope and have tried everything possible, and it seems as if the situation becomes worse instead of better.

There are other types of wounds, such as grief or sorrow or sadness, that can cause a person to say things or act in a way that is not their typical behavior. They may lash out, or be overly emotional, seem hateful, or just very sad and tearful. But it's a situation that they are going through which is causing them to act as they do. It's something hidden inside that is not obvious to the casual observer.

Honestly, I have been guilty of judging others or situations because of what I thought I saw or by what I thought I knew. Sometimes I've judged by what I thought I overheard; or by hearing and seeing what I "think" looks like bad behavior. In recent years, especially in the past several months, I've become more sensitive and have realized that there is a huge difference between what I think and the truth. I've been more understanding, less critical and less judgmental; or at least, I have been working on it and think I have greatly improved in that area.

Matthew 7:1-2 says, "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged."

It's easy to say, "I don't judge others!" But our words and attitude says otherwise. At times, it may not be words that are spoken aloud, but our thoughts toward others can be judgmental and critical. If we truly take the Word of God seriously and believe what it says, scripture says that we will be treated the way that we treat others. Would we want others to treat us the way that others treat us? Would we want others to think of us the way that we think about them? The above verse says that the standard that we use in judging others is the exact same standard by which we will be judged.

That passage of scripture continues: "Why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can't see past the log in your own eye?"

Jesus is the one who is speaking these words, beginning with verse one. Do you know what He calls us? "Hypocrite!" He continues by saying, "First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye."

Sometimes it seems as if it's much easier to deal with someone else's issue, instead of working on our own. It's easier to criticize and say what we think they are doing wrong, instead of listening to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and allowing God to work within us.

Luke writes about Jesus' words regarding judging others in chapter 6. He says, "Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven."

Let's all ask God to help us see others through His eyes and give us a more understanding heart. The next time we are in a restaurant and a child throws a tantrum, think about the possible unknowns. Could that child possibly have issues that isn't obvious? Are the parents exhausted and just needed a night out, while hoping and praying that their child wouldn't get overwhelmed and have good behavior?

My nephew's daughter has a very rare neurological syndrome. There is a possibility that she is also dealing with another diagnosis, but hasn't yet been able to have the testing done. This sounds strange, but one thing that really sets her off is hearing someone cough. There have been times when they've been in an eating establishment and she will hear someone cough. She begins reacting, and her parents have had to leave and take her home. To someone who doesn't know or understand, it would be easy to judge and think her parents are being over sensitive or overreacting or spoiling her. But I've seen her when someone coughs and know that the issue is very real.

Maybe next time we feel like judging or being critical, we could take a moment and think about the possibility that there is an underlying issue that we know nothing about. Ask ourself how we want others to judge us and remember that that same standard of judgement that we use, is the same one others use for us.

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

I've been in a lot of situations where I might be expected to share advice on raising children. Typically, I'll say that I can't give reliable advice until I raise a perfect child, first. And even then, I could only give advice on raising that child.

We know a couple who experienced that first-hand. Their oldest child was able to pick up almost anything she wanted very easily and quickly. For example, she learned to play the piano with almost no training. She learned martial arts, and quickly reached the top rank. And she always did well with her home-schooling curriculum.

Then they had a second child. The second one was more obstinate, and did her own thing. She did well with things she liked, but school wasn't what she liked. Then they had a third, and adopted a fourth. Neither of them were like the first, either.

They learned through experience that what they thought was the perfect way to raise a child doesn't work with all children. Parents need to find the thing that works for each child--but rarely, there isn't anything that works.

The same is true for adults. For some of us, God can give a simple caution, and they will correct some wrong behavior. Some of us need a stronger reminder. But God is able to work all situations and circumstances for our individual good.

ON THE MENEWE:

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a greased bundt pan.

Bake in 325 oven for 45-50 minutes, until done.

Cool for a few minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.

For the glaze:

Microwave a German sweet chocolate bar with 1-2 Tablespoons of butter and pour over warm cake.

You could also microwave a can of chocolate fudge frosting for 45 seconds, then pour over the top of the cake.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

My niece's kids, ages 16 and 11, were recently at my house for the afternoon. I had text their mom and told them that we could feed them dinner, if needed. I knew she had things going on and wouldn't be home to cook. She texted back and said that the 16 year old had just text asking if he could go with us to a pizza place that he really likes. She asked if we had said we were going there or was it just wishful thinking on his part. It made me laugh! We hadn't said that, but he knows us well enough to know that we would take him, if that's where he wanted to go. I told him that I had just got a text from his mama and asked if he had something he wanted to ask me. He looked a tad sheepish and said, "Well, I was just getting ready to ask...." His dad ended up meeting us there, as well as the kids' grandma (my sister). I love spending time with my nieces and nephews, as well as their kids; and love it that the kids still like hanging out with their aunt!!

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

You can worry about it or you can pray about it.

One does nothing. The other does everything. - TobyMac

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org