Signs

I had a couple of friends share a beautiful story with me and I cannot stop thinking about it. It made me teary to read it, because it touched me so much and mostly because with every part of my heart, I want to be better. I want to not make assumptions. I want to always see others how our Heavenly Father sees them. I want to not react out of frustration or annoyance. And I don't always do that.

I think it also made me teary because if I had a sign right now it would read,

"I've spent way too many weeks in pain every day, I've been worried about this sweet
baby more than I want to admit, my parents have moved 8,000 miles away for three
years and I miss them so much already. I want to be less grumpy, less emotional,
more cheerful, more patient and deal with this constant pain better, but I
can't seem to make myself do it right now. Please be gentle with me.
Because I'm having a really hard time being gentle with myself."

(Goodness, that was harder than I thought to admit.)

I am truly grateful for every single person who treats me gently, when I don't seem to deserve it. And how I want to always treat others gently. You can never know the situation of another. There is no possible way, not matter how much we think we know. And that is why I am going to choose to assume that every person I encounter deserves my gentleness toward them. Even if I don't know what their sign would say exactly, I do know they deserve one—no matter how hard some try to hide it. And that is enough to guide all of my actions toward them.

How grateful I am for that reminder today.