People are Like Books

This week I was humbled once again. Those who know me well know typos are more than a pet peeve of mine. If I find a typo while reading a book for pleasure I become so annoyed I put the book down. I don’t know why it bothers me so much but it does.

Several days ago a reader sent me an email stating there was a typo on my site. I was thankful he took the time to let me know. He very nicely wrote, “Silly mistakes can ruin your site’s credibility.” This line was simple yet compelling. You see, I knew he was right because I knew exactly how I would have responded when reading a typo. I thought about his statement. “…your site’s credibility.” “My site?” Then it dawned on me. Although I simply write posts about happenings in my life as I live “Each day for Christ,” Christ is using my messages for His glory. Weekly my site is read by readers not only in the United States but also various countries around the world. (That is a different post entirely.) Being that God is reaching other parts of the world through my site I would not want my typos to get in the way or be a hindrance.

It seemed as if I immediately went into survival mode. A typo? No way? Where? It needed to be fixed. I searched and search. Reading through my site on a mission to find the misspelled word. I read everything over and over and still could not find the typo. I was getting so aggravated with not finding it.

Then I had to walk away. I prayed I would quickly find the misspelled word the next time I looked. I thanked Christ for the site and how it ministers to others. I thanked Him for sending the typo messenger. I realized there also must be a lesson I needed to learn from this situation being it was becoming such a prominent event in the week.

A bit later I opened my site and INSTANTLY found the typo from a year ago. I had already read that particular post but somehow missed it. I thanked God for helping me find the typo so quickly this time. Then within a moment I realized the lesson. :) God was speaking directly to me. People are like books. You see, sometimes I am more aware of appearance that I miss the heart of the matter. Sometimes I tend to judge a person by their appearance (good or bad.)

Let me make this very clear. I am not saying anything negative about the reader or the email sent from him. What I am saying is that God specifically used him to personally remind me about how I need to see others. The reader got it! He saw my heart and was trying to help me grow. What he didn’t know is that he helped me grow in more ways then one.

Similar to the way I discard content based on typos, I had to be reminded that everything that has to do with man’s appearance and the standards we set for others in our mind (good or bad) should not matter if we are truly looking toward them with the eyes of Christ. Some say don’t judge a book by it’s cover or should I say don’t judge a book by its typos. LOL. You might not ever understand the true meaning of the book.

Likewise, I was reminded through this task to see others as Christ would want me to see them. I can’t let faults or the eccentric individual sway my thinking of them as a person just as I cannot allow the beautifully disguised wolf to do the same. Lord, help me daily to see through your eyes.

Props to the reader in Canada who took the time to allow God to use him for my benefit!!!!! God is good!

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

1 Samuel 16:7 NIV