Moccasins

 MOCCASINS

      These beautiful beaded Lakota moccasins were on display at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora, North Dakota, when we were there a number of years ago.  I was reminded of an old saying about never judging a person until you have walked a mile in his moccasins, or in some cases the last word was replaced by “shoes.”

         The phrase about moccasins comes from the poem, Judge Softly, written in 1895 by Mary T. Lathrap.  She probably got her inspiration from the apostle Matthew who wrote, “Judge not, lest ye be judged. Why do you see the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” 7:1-2.
           The admonition to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes means before judging someone, you must understand his experiences, challenges, thought processes, etc.  Here are a few stanza’s from Mary’s poem that illustrate that truth:
 

    Pray, don’t find fault with the man that limps,

    Or stumbles along the road.

    Unless you have worn the moccasins he wears,

    Or stumbled beneath the same load.

    Just walk a mile in his moccasins
    Before you abuse, criticize and accuse.
    If just for one hour, you could find a way
    To see through his eyes, instead of your own muse.

    Remember to walk a mile in his moccasins
    And remember the lessons of humanity taught to you by your elders.
    We will be known forever by the tracks we leave
    In other people’s lives, our kindnesses and generosity.

    Take the time to walk a mile in his moccasins.”

             I have learned, over time, that we never truly understand how a person feels about a thing until we experience it for ourselves.  We can try to imagine and we can attempt to empathize with them, but we never fully know a thing until we walk through it.
            I’ve experienced great surprise at my feelings in a particular situation.  I imagined that, if I ever went through such an experience, I would surely feel this or that.  Then, I’m stunned at how differently I feel than I thought I would.
            This is a great reminder to us that we cannot know another person’s feelings, or their true motivation for something if we have not been in a similar situation ourselves.

             And so, our response to our fellow man and woman should be full of grace and compassion.  Here's what the apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, as well as to you and me:

     “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one,” 4:6 NKJV

     “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” 3:12 ESV