It’s too easy to draw conclusions

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12 KJV)

 Recently, I was reviewing my past, thinking about choices I made, and I began to blame others for how some things had turned out. I blamed my parents for the decisions they made that affected my childhood. I blamed my school for the insecurities. I blamed my church for attitudes I had about God.
 My life hasn’t been perfect. I have made some decisions that have hurt myself, and at times others have hurt me. But it wasn’t my home life or my school or my church that was responsible. It was individuals.
 And when I remembered the individuals, I saw a woman struggling with grief because her oldest child had died; a fresh-out-of-college youth leader who thought he was an expert on teenagers but simply needed a bit more life experience; and an exhausted and stressed math teacher whose wife’s pregnancy had landed her in the hospital for months. These people made mistakes, just like I’ve made mistakes along the way in my life.
 It’s too easy to draw conclusions and make generalizations about our experiences and the people we feel justified in casting blame on. At the time, we might not understand why someone reacted the way they did, but looking back with understanding helps us have a clearer picture and find freedom in forgiveness. —Joyce Suttin [1]

 Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God's plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins. God's love is still working. He comes in and takes the calamity and uses it victoriously, working out His wonderful plan of love." —Eric Liddell

[1] Activated Placing Blame