Ryan and I once attended a wedding where the ring bearer was the couple's dog.
Not even kidding.
I couldn't make this stuff up.
I am not a huge fan of dogs.
We had one as a family pet while I was growing up, and I loved her.
She was a wonderful dog.
But most of the time I find that dogs smell bad, drool everywhere, need way too much attention, and tend to put their noses where they don't belong.
Needless to say, we have a cat.
I would never have had a dog as my ring bearer.
But having a dog as a ring bearer was a perfect choice for the couple's wedding we attended.
You see, they raise service dogs.
These are dogs that are specially trained to care for people's special needs, such as blindness, autism, or seizure disorders.
For this couple, their dog was a very important part of their family.
The older I get, the more I am realizing how silly it is to judge one another's choices.
That couple had every right to choose a dog as their ring bearer.
That choice reflected on their personal interests and tastes.
It was special to them, and it was certainly a memorable part of their wedding day.
To each his own.
Sometimes, though, that is so much easier said than done.
I have learned that most of my snap judgments in this life turn out to be flat wrong.
Everyone has a reason for why they are the way they are.
Everyone has reasons for doing what they choose to do.
I am not privy to all of those reasons in every instance, nor should I be.
My job is not to determine all of those things, but to simply love and appreciate others for their uniqueness.
Throwing the first stone is not in my job description.
Canine ring bearers aside, it is so very easy to judge other people.
And their lifestyles.
And their choices.
And their parenting.
And their profanity usage.
And their eating habits.
And their clothes, shoes, tattoos, hair color, cars, homes, finances, cleanliness, and habits.
"So he answered and said, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.
'" --Luke 10:27 If I love my neighbor as myself, there is no room for anything other than GRACE.
I tend to grant myself a ton of grace, so I need to be that free with grace to others as well.
I tend to appreciate my own uniqueness and brush over my own many flaws, and I should do the same with others.
My job is not to judge.
My job is to love.
I noticed that scripture does not say, "Love your neighbor, unless she has different color hair than you.
" It also doesn't say, "Love your neighbor, unless he has abused drugs.
" It doesn't say, "Love your neighbor, unless he is lazy.
" How quickly I could judge.
But God wants us to love others.
All others.
I am not lowering my standards of what is right by loving those who disagree.
God will work in others' lives in His own time.
Changing people through judgment is NOT my job.
Other people are truly amazing when we take the time to get to know them.
When we understand what makes them tick.
When we hear their stories and learn what they have experienced in their lives.
Other people can bless our own lives with a new understanding, and they can help us see things from a new perspective.
I consider myself extraordinarily blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who are so diverse.
Some do things I would never do.
Some do things I wish to do.
Some agree with my religion, and some do not.
Some agree with my political slants, and some do not.
Some have jobs, and some do not.
Some like to hunt, and some are vegetarians.
Some struggle, some excel, some make choices I love, and some make decisions I could not.
I love them all.
I really do.
And I have learned to appreciate their differences.
Even if they have a dog in their wedding.