Helping a struggling man

Yesterday over lunch, I went to the grocery store to get some food. In front of me at the checkout line was an older man with a scraggly beard, an unkempt style of dress, and a cart full of alcohol. He looked like a man who had given up and just wanted to drink. I had no pity. I probably made some ill-advised judgements about him. He paid, left and so did I. I got to my car while he was bringing his shopping cart back into the store. He was walking so slowly and laboriously, I realized he needed the shopping cart to hold himself up. I almost jumped out and offered to take the cart for him, but I saw how close he was to the store, and decided it was pointless at that point. I left. I made it out of the parking lot before I realized that he needed the shopping cart to hold himself up to get back to his car, as well, so what was he going to do?

I backed up into a parking stall and decided I would just watch and see what he did. By the time I finished parking, which turned out to be a little difficult for some reason, he had made it back to the corner of the store and had leaned against the wall to stay up. He was looking out to his car like it was an impossibility. This time I jumped out and offered my arm, which he very gratefully took. I slowly walked him to his car and asked what had happened to his leg, and wished him a merry Christmas. He thanked me, and left. I left.

Here's the thing. That was Monday. Saturday, I tweaked my back such that I was almost unable to walk myself. I was laying down most of Saturday afternoon, most of Sunday (I even skipped church), and sort of managed to work by Monday. After I dropped him off at his car, and had walked back to mine, it took me struggling to get in my car to realize that I hadn't felt any pain while walking with him. It was probably there, but I hadn't noticed.

I think I looked beyond my own hurt and helped relieve the hurt of another, and that was why I didn't notice mine.

If we can look beyond our offenses, our grudges, and our pains, which often can be real and painful, and try to alleviate those of other people, ours will hurt less.