A Night of Firsts

Everyone loves to be a winner and some of us love a chicken dinner! I decided I wanted to start blogging to record some of my winning thoughts. And I thought maybe others could benefit from my thoughts or at the very least get a good chuckle or belly laugh at my strange and unusual thoughts. So here we go...
Last night was an interesting night for me. It was a night of first. Can a 45 yr. old man have a whole night of firsts? This one did! Through some odd circumstances I ended up sitting in the front row in right field at the Cardinals game. I've never sat in the front row so that was my first first.
I got on TV. When Rasmus hit his 3 run homer I was right there. I was the big guy in the white if you watch the highlights on Stlcardinals.com That was my second first.
My brother in law, who will remain nameless to protect his guilt, ask me if I wanted to play a game. He said, "you pick three players and I pick three players and whoevers player gets the first hit of an inning wins that inning and the other person has to buy him an item from the concession stand." I said, "sounds fun. Let's play."
He had Skip the shoeman and he led off with a hit. So off to the consession stand I went. I said, "what do you want?" He said, "a Bud light." I froze in my tracks. Stunned I mumbled no you don't and thought you're Baptist you can't have a Bud light. And besides that I've never bought a beer in my life! He reaffirmed that he indeed wanted a Bud light. So off to the consession stand I went to buy my first beer. Remember it wasn't for me. Now, I don't think having an ocassional beer is a sin. I just think it taste like crap. I put beer and coffee in the same catagory.
A funny thought occured to me as I was carrying the Bud light back to my brother in law. What if someone who knows me saw me but I didn't see them and they thought I can't believe a Pastor would have a beer at a Cardinals game! And yet I didn't.
How often do we assume things that aren't true about people? How often do we assume people mean one thing when they really meant another? How often do we label and judge people with out knowing the facts or their heart or their intent? This made me realize that God doesn't wants us to judge or stick our noses up at people or make wrong assumtions, but that He wants us to love people for who they are and right where they are. I'm glad God loves this non beer drinking first time beer buyer that way!!!!!!!!!!!!! Something to think about:)