Rocks In My Pocket

You can learn a lot about life from Facebook. It's true.
When I ventured back on to the world-wide web of social media, I vowed to myself one thing: to use it only as a tool of encouragement. The world is already bursting full of negativity, and I want to be a light. I need to be a light. I choose to be a light. (A dim light, sometimes...but I'm a work in progress.)
When I logged on last evening to virtually peek into the lives of my friends, I came across the most surprising of posts. A friend, whom is normally quite enthusiastic and positive about her growing life in Christ, posted one of those pre-made pictures with quotes. Except this one had a dark twist. Deeply negative, with R-rated language and an extremely bitter antidote about life. My first inclination was that she had been hacked, and someone was rudely posting it in her absence, for it was not like her at all to post such a negative, foul thing. (Side note: language really doesn't offend me. It's always the attitude behind the language that disturbs me most. Words are words, and half of them are man-made, anyhow...it's just bizarre how we create words and twist them to have ugly connotations...) After reading the replies, I came to the conclusion that she had experienced a really terrible day, and was venting out of frustration. But one reply to her unusual post really stood out. Another fellow believer, calling her out on her poor choice. Rebukingly. And very publicly.
My heart sank.
Within minutes, her post was erased, and an apologetic one in its place. I received a private message (as I'm sure most of her Facebook friends did) asking for forgiveness for her moment of frustration. And in reading her humble words, I could only review the events of my own day. My own non-graceful moments. My frustration with fighting children, my impatience in dealing with defiant toddlers, my sarcastic nature with my husband. Not pretty. Not pretty at all, in fact. It all left me feeling without a stone to throw.
"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." (John 8:7)
And it occurred to me. I have no rocks in my pocket. My own shortcomings are ever before me. I have no right to judge, for I know who I am in my flesh. While I might not drop the F-bomb publicly, undoubtedly my attitude sometimes speaks what there needs no ugly words for. While I may not spew thoughts of negativity all over the walls of Facebook, the walls of my own home may display the graffiti of an ungrateful heart and an impatient spirit. Now I ask...which is worse? Do you dare judge? Or might you not have rocks in your own pocket, as well....
I thought for quite some time about this public rebuking of another believer...this part disturbed me most of all. I know I've played that part. Feeling so self-righteous that it was my duty as a believer to share the truth. What I failed to comprehend was that perhaps it is my place to shed light to truth...there's always a time, place and way to do so. And maybe a public forum was not the best choice. When I stumble and fall; in my not-so-graceful moments of life...I do so hope someone comes alongside me in truth and love. And in privacy to protect me from further public embarrassment, seek out a gracious way to love me back to restoration. It's all about grace. Truth? Yes. Absolutely, always truth. But truth enveloped in grace. Without it, we become less raw and real. We don our masks to reduce our chances of someone seeing and choosing to pick up that first stone. And there will always and forever be someone eager to throw the first stone. But, if we were truly honest...not any one of us is justified to carry rocks in our pocket. We all have less than graceful moments. I know not one single person whom is qualified to be carrying rocks in their pocket.
I have a long way to go in figuring things of this life out. But one thing I do know, one thing I'm absolutely certain of: If we don't learn this delicate balance of grace and truth, we'll never be able to experience unity within the body of Christ.