Look for the Good

There is a story about a woman at the airport who was waiting to catch her flight. She bought herself a bag of cookies, settled in a chair in the airport lounge, and began to read her book. Suddenly she noticed the man beside her helping himself to her cookies. Not wanting to make a scene, she read on, ate cookies, and watched the clock. As the daring “cookie thief” kept on eating the cookies she got more irritated and said to herself, “If I wasn’t so nice, I’d slap his hand!” 

She wanted to move the cookies to her other side but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one was left, she wondered what he would do. Then with a smile on his face and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, and he ate the other. She snatched it from him and thought, “This guy has some nerve, and he’s also rude. He didn’t show even an ounce of gratitude!” She sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate, refusing to look at the ungrateful “thief.” She boarded the plane and sank in her seat, reached in her bag to grab her book, and sure enough, next to her book was her own bag of cookies.

Turns out, the cookies they ate in the lounge were his, not hers. She had been the thief, not him.

This story reminds me that in life, things are not always what they seem. The truth is, when we become smug or self-righteous, often we are not seeing the whole picture. We lose sight of our own selfishness, our own lack of love and compassion. And even worse, we may miss the good and redeeming qualities of another person.

Jesus once said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

Please pray with me: Loving God, this is the day which you have made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. As we continue to walk this journey of life, help us to be slow to judge. Grant us eyes to see the bigger picture. And may we ever notice the beauty and good in others. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.