"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." -Matthew 7:1-2

Last summer, while visiting my grandfather, he proudly showed me a project he was undertaking. Rescued from a railroad depot in Indiana, which was about to be demolished, my grandfather brought home a vintage library cabinet, complete with 42 original drawers and brass handles. Aside from decades of dust, lead paint, and the grime of a railroad office, several of the drawers were broken; the entire project seemed a wasted effort. To my calloused and unseeing eyes, the oak cabinet had no further use, no value, and no hope. However, to my grandfather, it was a rich piece of history with solid bones and worth his time to attempt to restore and reclaim it's value. I was polite in my enthusiasm as he explained his idea for restoration, but I discounted the cabinet as a lost cause. How like the attitude of most of us to quickly assess people in general because we fail to see the pure gold of God's breath that flows through each human being created in His image.

For five long months, my grandfather scraped and sanded his precious cabinet; replacing small sections of wooden trim, carefully measuring and gluing, mixing and staining each individual drawer. He spent an entire week soaking and scrubbing the brass handles. Finally, with paste wax, he waxed and buffed the cabinet to an immaculate shine. I was astounded by the finished result and the sheer beauty of what he had revealed with much love and labor. While I realize that the beauty within people does not lie in how clean we make them appear or how beautifully we apply stain or paste wax, the lesson is still the same. Jesus looks at the precious glow in each one of us. He sees the gold in us, not the dirt. My prayer in life lately has been "God help me to see with Your eyes. Help me to take every critical, judgmental thought captive and replace it with eyes of love. Give me the courage to call forth gifts in people rather than flaws. Use me to encourage others to realize their gifts or talents, that they might use them for Your glory."

Like my critical thoughts towards my grandfathers seemingly hopeless project, so often our minds face the negative when looking at people as well. God help us to change our mindsets and the way we view your children. Help us to walk in love and truly believe the potential that lies within those around us.