Just One

 

“Your daughter has been recommended for remediation and will need to attend math lab daily.” At first I thought it was a joke—big grin, halfway laughing, she told me she was sent to a special class for math, but the next day when I received the note from her teacher on school letterhead, I knew this was no laughing matter. I was dumbfounded. She’s been a straight A student since Pre-K. Obviously, someone had made a mistake.

But apparently there was no mistake. According to a single test score from the previous year, her math skills were deemed to be severely lacking, requiring specialized, intensive instruction in that area in order to be able to score grade level on the next test. She would be sent to a math intervention lab daily, all because of this single test score.

To say that I was upset is an understatement. Had they not looked at her records? Nothing in her whole history gave even the slightest indication that there had ever been any problem. She even had an A average in math when they tried to remove her from the class. It just didn’t make good sense. Did they not take into account all of these factors?  

Apparently not. Because of just one score her abilities were questioned; because of a singular incident her educational future was going to change. Because just one score was isolated, taken out of context, and inflated, she was being made to prove what was already known. But no one looked at all of her success, instead they honed in on the one failure, the one weak moment, the one bad day, the one poor score and judged her capacity accordingly.

We do that to each other all the time. Instead of seeing a soul, someone in need of grace, our reflection without God’s mercy, we judge harshly based on just one action, one bad day, one mistake, one indiscretion, one weak moment, one poor attitude. We rob each other of a chance for a future; we negatively impact each other’s ability to seek and receive grace; we alter each other’s capability to see Jesus in us.

Everyone messes up. Everyone needs grace. Everyone requires a second chance. Everyone deserves to have his life viewed in context instead of bad moments being isolated, blown out of proportion, and held high and announced for all to see.

Just one drop of Jesus’ precious blood is all it takes. Just one prayer, just one act of grace, just one smile, just one glance without judgment and pretense.

Just one moment of mercy can save someone’s life.

Just one person who is willing to look past a bad day and see the whole—the soul in need of a Savior.

Just one person who is willing to remember her own need of grace, of Jesus, of a second chance.

Just one.

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 (NIV)

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. – Matthew 7:1-2 (NIV)

Linking with:
Shanda for On Your Heart Tuesday 
Eileen for Into the Beautiful
Lauren for Heart and Home