Time for an attitude change

We recently had a family emergency that rocked my world.  My mother suffered a stroke and is currently in a rehab unit.  She's making great strides toward recovery and in just 3 weeks, she's now able to move her right leg and is starting to transition back to solid foods instead of having to puree everything.  Shes's still fighting hard, and her spirits are up.  Needless to say, I'm not handling things well at all.  That, in turn, caused me to be not handle stressors and minor annoyances in my life very well.  There are times when I am sure that I will come apart at the seams and just end up a pile on the floor.  

Today, the verse of the day (Matthew 7:1-2  Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and  with the measure you use it will be measured to you) popped up on my computer and reminded me that sometimes the most unhappy, mean-spirited people in the world are just that way.  They don't know how to be any other way, and that means that I need to have a little more patience, compassion, and understanding with them.  It isn't for me to decide that they need to be better people, and it isn't for me to decide that they aren't worth my time.  Rather, I need to have MORE patience and compassion for them because they need that from me more than they need my bitterness and anger. It's hard, and I am pretty sure that I won't always succeed...but I've decided that I need to work more on loving the unlovable.  Even when I just. don't. want. to. 

My husband and I decided when our children were born that we wanted to provide them with role models that they can look up to.  We want to do as we say, and in order for me to do that, I need to worry less about perceived offenses against me and spend more time meeting people where they are and loving them regardless.  Today's verse reminded me of a quote I saw not too long ago, "Judging a person does not define who they are.  It defines who you are." Unfortunately, I don't know who to attribute that quote to as there was no name attached to it when I saw it.  I don't want that to define who I am.  I have a new goal, and today starts a new attitude for me.