Have Faith November Issue

Day 7
Walk A Mile... Matthew 5:41
This month’s reflection centres on a project
that we undertook last year. There is an old
saying that you should never judge somebody
unless you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.
Never a truer word said. But sometimes to
understand a person you need to walk a mile
in their shoes. This was so apparent to us as
we tried to get the public to understand the
road our veterans walk.
In this day and age, news stories come and go
so quickly one can be forgiven for forgetting
the problems of other people. Especially when
we are caught up in our own day to day lives.
This can make awareness of the problems of
others so difficult. The thing is regardless of
how empathic we feel for somebody, there is
no way we can walk a mile in somebody else’s
shoes. All we can really do is try to understand
the best we can. But it can be a good idea to
take the time to try to understand someone a
little more. Learn about what has made that
person good and bad. The more you know, the
more you can start to walk a metaphorical
mile but without this understanding and
knowledge their shoes will never fit you.
No one can really understand what Armed
Forces Veterans have been through unless
you have served alongside of them. And
even then, that would mean physically being
alongside them on duty. That is the only way.
But as I said, no-one can be expected to fully
understand. Just know that there is a long
road that is walked.
I would like to point out at this point that this
is for everyone, not just Veterans but in light
of certain events I would like to keep with
our heroes. Our idea was to walk a mile for a
certain group of people. 80 of them in fact. I
could never understand what they have been
through but as I walk, I will consider how they
have suffered on their journey. You see, these
80 took their own lives last year. I walked in
my old Army boots as they did and I tried to
get people to understand what I was doing
and why I was doing it in the hope that more
people could walk a mile for someone they
know that may be suffering. I know that God
was with me and gave me strength to complete
the task.
Maybe this is something you could do for people
who you know are walking their particular
difficult journey. Yes, you will never know
what they are going through but it may help
to let others understand their journey a little
more. You never know, it could save a life.
Unfortunately, as I write this we have lost so
many more veterans in this tragic way but we
never give up on them. Jesus never gave up on
us at any point despite the incredible suffering
he had to bear. Maybe a good incentive to use
when walking your mile.
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