"On Judging a Book By Its Cover"

It was the first leg of my flight, and I can't say I was really even awake yet.  My eyes were open, but I don't think I had slept much, and I had arrived at the airport in time for a 5:10 A. M. flight.  You know how it is--hurry up and wait.  The plane was small, one used to shuttle passengers for a 30-minute flight to Portland.  

Window seats are my preference while flying.  From the first time I flew, looking out on the majestic mountain ranges, the small farms tucked away out in the middle of nowhere, the lights of cities, the rivers and the seas, the clouds that carry the illusion of being able to step out and take a walk, I never tire of the view and try to book a window seat.

I was one of the first ones on and, as the passengers loaded and the plane began to fill, I realized that, due to the physical size of the one sitting next to me, I would be crowded.  We exchanged names and shared the reason for the flight at such a God-awful time of the morning.  She and two friends were taking their kids to Disneyland.  I was headed to Boise, Idaho to visit my daughter, grandgirls, and friends.

The next leg of the journey was a bit longer and, once again, I was crowded, squeezed next to the window.  Having had a weight problem myself, I have always thought of myself as having a sense of understanding and compassion for those struggling with the same, and I do.  It's just that I saw and experienced a facet of myself that I do not like and one I am not proud of.

On my return flight when the same thing happened again on both legs, I realized that my Father was not only making a point but reinforcing it.  My initial observations, my reaction and response were based solely on what I saw with my physical eyes.  I closed myself in, shut myself down, and shut out those sitting next to me because of my own labeling.  I don't like being treated that way and yet, here I am!  Except for the first young woman, I have no idea what kind of people I was sharing my flights with.  I can only give you a physical description, and it is not a stellar, complimentary one at that.  It makes me wonder how many times in how many other circumstances I've done a similar thing--judged a book by its cover.

I am still processing my experience.  I know I haven't fully grasped the point of my Eugene to Boise round-trip flight yet.  But this I know:  I did not practice what I preach.  There is so much to learn, so much personal growth to be had.  There is a saying which is applicable.  "God is not finished with me yet."

"Man looks on the outer, but God looks on the heart."