Wear the Shoes He Wears

I received this in an e-mail today and it touched my heart, so I thought I would share. The author is not known. The title of it was "Judge Softly," which struck me odd. Of course, we are not supposed to judge one another unless we are prepared to be judged in the same manner. Many of us try hard to never judge another, but we are all human and we all fail and that, of course, is why we need Jesus.

What I liked about this poem is that it reminds us to remember that we may never know what other circumstances surround a person's failings. If we did know those circumstances, that may make us regret our initial thoughts about someone.


Pray, don't find fault with the man that limps
Or stumbles along the road.
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears
Or struggled beneath his load.

There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt
Though hidden away from view.
Or the burden he bears placed on your back
Might cause you to stumble too.

Don't sneer at the man who's down today
Unless you have felt the blow
That caused his fall or felt the shame
That only the fallen know.

You may be strong but still the blows
That was his if dealt to you
In the selfsame way, at the selfsame time
Might cause you to stagger too.

Don't be too harsh with the man that sins
Or pelt him with word or stone
Unless you are sure - yea, doubly sure -
That you have no sins of your own.

For you know, perhaps,
If the tempter's voice should whisper as soft to you
As it did to him when he went astray
It might cause you to falter too.

Author Unknown