Hello everyone!
I thought this photo was perfect for today's blog! She is getting ready to take a walk to a place and a road she has not been before. That is exactly what it means to walk a mile in someone's shoes, figuratively. We have to take ourselves in our minds and hearts to a place that is unfamiliar so that we can seek to understand another person. This may not be comfortable and we may not like it. I can promise you, however, when you do this that you are helping a person more than you know. You are seeking to understand where they are coming from, whether you agree or not. You are seeking a perspective other than your own. I am not saying to attempt to walk in the shoes of evil. We should always stand against it! I assure you, you will never understand it.
Many people in this world want someone to come along who will understand their heart. There is no greater friend than someone who seeks to understand! Friends don't have to agree, they only need to try and see the other's perspective! They can even agree to disagree, imagine that! I have wonderful friends who practice this with me and I do too with them!
I can tell you when you practice walking a mile in another's shoes, you not only learn about them, you will most likely learn something about yourself. One of the most important things I learn from practicing this is becoming aware of when I have judged a person or situation prematurely. I have done my share of judging prematurely I assure you. Walking a mile in another's shoes helps me correct my judgemental trajectory. When I see things from their perspective, it's harder to judge. Walking a mile in another's shoes also allows me to see them as God sees them. When I see a person as God does, I see how much He loves them. I see them as a valuable person who may think differently than me. If something needs to change, I can leave that up to Him.
I want to encourage all of you to practice walking in the shoes of another on a regular basis. You will enlarge your capacity to love which will enlarge your heart. Keep walking and keep loving readers and friends!!
Walking that mile,
Elizabeth