When it snows on the foothills near Denver, the snow lingers on part of one hill and quickly melts off a different part of the same hill.

Same snowstorm. Same amount of snow falling.

Why the contrast?

The difference is that one side has a lot more sun exposure and the other is in the shadows for most of each day.

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When I spend time with some people, I often judge them for why they don’t do something I consider normal and expected. Or I wonder why they can’t do that easy thing.

“Why should I have to give them extra time to accomplish that task?”

“Why do I need to take on more than my share of that expense?”

When we step back a little, we might realize that the person we’re judging is carrying a much heavier burden than us in one or more areas.

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.” –1 John 4:7

And the other side of the situation is that it’s just not good for me to put myself in the place of being their judge (Matthew 7:1).

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I’m still working on this one. Check back in a few years… I hope to continue making progress.

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Paul Merrill writes here every first Friday.