Two Opposites. One Truth...Every Morning

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." ~Lamentations 3:22-23

I woke up crazy early this morning, and, while lying in bed, hoping to fall back asleep (fail), was thinking about some things I read yesterday, that, while opposite in their approach, both shared a similar message very well....

It was out of this World...........
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
There must've been a mistake.
'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

"What hope has hatred ever harnessed? What argument has ever been aided by anger? What problems have ever been resolved by revenge? You might be trying to consciously or unconsciously punish a brother or sister by not forgiving them. But who are you really punishing? Who carries that judgement with him wherever he goes? Your brother and sister are not what you perceive they did to you. They are not some frozen moment in time that like a brick, you choose to carry into the present. They are God's children on a journey..." ~James B. Cisneros

"To err is human, to forgive divine." ~William Shakespeare

If God's mercies are new every morning, how can we offer our brother or sister any less? If the thought of worshiping before God's throne in Heaven next to any certain person makes you cringe, that means there's a good chance you might not be there anyway. Is holding on to that judgmentalism or unforgiveness really worth missing Heaven over? From here on out I encourage you: Look at others through God's eyes...You might be pleasantly surprised what you see.