Contemplating the Good in Others

Jul 31, 2022 | Blog Posts

Names given below are pseudonyms. 

I had coffee recently with my friend Frances.  We were talking about the struggle all of us encounter at times when people fail to understand us.  Frances then shared with me a beautiful image God planted in her mind regarding this difficulty.

Imagine you own the house of your dreams, whether it be a mountain cabin, a city apartment, a beach house, or an English manor.  Inside, it’s all beautifully decorated just to your liking.  Some visitors come, and you eagerly welcome them to your home.

The visitors haven’t even removed coats before they start criticizing everything.  They don’t like the color of the paint.  Your front room is too cluttered with knickknacks.  The plush carpet or tiled floor is not what they would have chosen.

You’d be insulted.  How can they speak like that?  How can they not appreciate the unique beauty of your home and the welcome you’ve given them?

It’s the same with us.  God doesn’t like it when people criticize us and make no effort to understand who we are in our essence.  I could tell you all about Frances’ shortcomings and defects.  But I don’t.  To do so misses the point of why I love, like, and appreciate her.

First and foremost, Frances is a child of God.  That alone bestows upon her an inherent dignity and worth.  Beyond that, though, she’s a beautiful soul.  She is gentle and kind.  She is open-minded, always taking into account other people’s perspectives.  She is contemplative.  She’s also quirky—she is equally at home wearing a ball gown and a motorcycle outfit.  

I shared what Frances told me with another friend.  Edith shared with me another beautiful observation a college professor of hers had made.  The professor remarked on how we’ll spend hours studying the Pieta.  If we can find so much to contemplate in a piece of carved marble, how can we be so hasty in our evaluations of souls?

Everyone has failings and defects they need to overcome.  But when looking at others, we should keep our focus on their good qualities and encourage those. 

  Let’s take time this summer to contemplate the good in others.  In doing so, we will be drawn closer to God.  As Frances once remarked to me, “to see the good [in others] is to see God.”

~Amber

August 1, 2022: I just came across the below video which touches on the same general theme as this blog post.

Amber Kinloch

Amber Kinloch

Amber  writes from the bunker of her living room.  There she hunkers down with her laptop and a blanket while keeping an eye and ear tuned in to the activity of family life.  Music set on loop keeps her energy flowing as she muses on the deeper happenings of ordinary life and what food to restock the fridge with.

Comments

Before commenting, please read through our comment guidelines.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

St. Joseph's Shelf logo

Welcome to St. Joseph’s Shelf!

Are you looking for ways to apply your Faith to your daily life and become a saint? We publish practical Catholic reflections on ordinary life every week.

You Might Like...

Mary’s Immaculate Conception: What It Means for You and Me

Mary’s Immaculate Conception: What It Means for You and Me

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception teaches that Mary was preserved from any stain of sin from the first moment of her conception onward. It’s a stunning truth to ponder, yet perhaps we might wonder how we can relate to a woman so pure and exalted. Here, then, are four things you and I can draw from Mary’s Immaculate Conception in relation to our everyday lives.

read more