Ouch!

Ouch! For some reason the lens the ophthalmologist placed in my right eye when he removed the cataract, at times, causes lots of discomfort.

That pain, though unwanted, holds a sobering meaning for me. But before I tell you how, here’s what Jesus says about eye ailments:

"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 look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).”

When I was young, immature, and self-focused, those words slipped off my back. They surely weren’t meant for me, right? Not moi. But now, I squirm. And with head bowed, I plea guilty for playing the role of the judge when in fact I was the defendant.

This happens in soooo many areas of my life. But lately it’s more visible in my writing. When a piece in which I’ve poured my out heart, crafted with skill, adding sweat and tears comes back with that big ol’ "R"—rejection label. I question the decision, big time. How could anyone reject my literary baby? My precious creation? Surely, it’s the editors who are to blame for that colossal blunder—they just don’t appreciate good talent, skills, and unequaled creativity.

Ha! God’s Word brings a bit of reality to my emotions. Rather than allowing resentment to burn inside, I have to swallow hard and take a peek at the "specks" in my writing, in the areas needing improvement or in choosing the publications I submitted with more care.

So before I judge others, I’ll first have to remove the plank that keeps me from seeing my errors before judging other’s reactions.

(Sigh.) Humbling, isn’t it?

If you’re hurt because of someone else’s harshness or unfair judging, I invite you to take a deep breath, look up for courage, and take an inner inventory. You might find areas the Lord wants to correct in order to use you for His glory.

Until next post,

Janet (who’s off to improving the craft of writing fiction)

p.s. FYI, I’m working on a proper response to those who "judge" me on my stand on immorality issue.