Then let us no more pass judgment on one another… Romans14:13 (RSV)
When I was growing up in that part of Oklahoma known as No Man’s Land, I hated tumbleweeds! It was hard for me to believe that this treacherous tangle could ever be good for anything more than littering landscapes and attacking hapless victims. But it seems I am wrong.
This unwanted nuisance has been successfully turned into a form of firewood known as tumblelogs, a gainful cash crop for brave desert farmers.
As I have grown older, I am sometimes reminded of this audacious weed by other people I have met. My high school English teacher, Mrs. Curry, was a perfect example: always pushing, always demanding, never satisfied.
I used to think she went out of her way to make my life more difficult. But time has proved I was wrong. I am now reaping the rewards of the challenge she presented me through her persistence and dedication as a teacher.
Do you know someone who seems determined to make your life more uncomfortable? Are you misjudging them, as I did with the tumbleweeds and Mrs. Curry?