Frame Reframe

I was walking behind a woman painfully making her way to the entrance of a grocery store.  I know what foot pain feels like.  I winced inside with every hesitant step she took.  She was headed toward the large double-doored entrance with ENTER is large letters over the doors.  The doors swung open and two ladies pushing a cart came out the entrance.  They chatted moving along at a brisk pace with a full cart, not giving the other woman a sideways glance.  The woman had to stop her painful progress to let them out.

"Obliviots," I thought.
"How rude," came another thought.
"Can't they see she is having difficulty? Can't they wait or even offer to get her a cart?"
"At the least, why aren't they using the correct door to exit?"

Stop frame.  These were my initial judgements against two women. Strangers. I framed my thoughts thinking I had all the facts. These thoughts formed in my tiny brain in moments.

Fast forward to the end of my shopping trip, walking out the exit with a full cart and a latte.  What I saw as I walked to the exit was humbling and reframed my earlier judgement.  On the exit doors the store management had posted two large signs.

USE THE ENTRANCE DOORS TO THE LEFT.  THIS EXIT IS UNDER REPAIR

Reframe.  This information reframed my perception of the two ladies supposed rudeness to the struggling older woman giving me the total picture.

Do you find yourself in this age of Instagram judgements having to reframe your perception of other people's actions?  So humbling, right?

Consider these thoughts.

~ Gather ALL the facts.
~ If you have framed a situation incorrectly, act humbly and reframe it with ALL the facts.
~ Don't judge without walking in the other person's shoes...at least a mile.

Walking, somewhat painfully, in God's Grace,
Nancy B