Look Beyond The Fault

Have you ever wondered what strangers think of you? Have you ever “people” watched? When my husband and I were dating he would take me to the mall and we would sit on the bench to watch the people. It’s amazing the things you would see. Yes, I know, I was a cheap date, but he’s been paying for it ever since! Lol. I’m sure we all have at one time or another said to ourselves or whoever we are with, “can you believe what she is wearing?”; “did you see that?”; or this is one my husband asked me yesterday as we were driving home from the store, “is that a guy or a girl?” I know we are not to judge, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” Mathew 7:1, 2 - sometimes it’s hard not to think or say something when you see outrageous behavior.



I began to wonder what people must think when they see my husband and me together. Now you have to picture this…and it’s okay to laugh, we do. Jim is 6’3” tall, medium built (though a little belly), blonde hair (turning platinum due to white hair coming in), blue eyes, sporting a mustache and goatee (his midlife crisis), skin so white you need sunglasses, but all in all a very sharp looking man for 54 years old. Me…well…I am 5’3” tall, by 5’3” wide (really I am a very “fluffy” woman), gray/white hair, brown eyes, and due to many years of chronic illness and meds my skin has a reddish rash all over my body, my face is multi tones (hummm, I must look like a rainbow…lol). Oh, yes, we are a lovely pair. When we go out together people must think he is taking his mother out. I’m serious! I use a cane, sometimes a walker, wheelchair or motor cart. Without my makeup I look at least 10 plus years older.

Sometimes I laugh when we walk over to my daughter’s apartment that is about 25 yards or so from our apartment. When Jim walks with me he has to put “it” in reverse in order to stay at my slow…slow…slow pace. If we take our dogs Jim is not able to walk along side me. Jim will have our larger dog that walks very fast. I will have the pamorainen in one hand and my cane in the other. She will take little breaks to rest…my kind of dog! By the time we both get to Heather’s we are panting! The dog, Baby, and I are two of a kind – we both are old, out of shape, overweight, whitish hair, frequent bladder urges, gag and cough on nothing, takes us several attempts to get up and last but not least we both love our food! Lol… Oh, it’s tough getting old! It’s not for wimps! Lol.

The other week I was not feeling well, and it was so hot… 112, 115 degrees that I didn’t want to go over to Heather’s for dinner (she does the cooking). So Jim would take two plates with him when he would go over to get our dinner. Then he would carry the plates home, sometimes the salad would blow off a plate or a piece of garlic bread and he would think about the 5 second rule and consider picking up the food. Jim said he got the strangest looks coming back with all the food and trying to keep everything on the plate.

We also must look ridiculous when we are driving around town. The seat belt in the front seat of his vehicle pinches me, so I sit in the back seat! He jokes that he is going to get a chauffeurs hat. When we get in the car I will say, “Home James”.

We enjoy clowning around, and we are the first to laugh at ourselves and with each other. My husband and I am truly an odd couple, but we fit together like a puzzle. The pieces by themselves are funny shapes but together they make a beautiful picture. My husband is truly amazing. He is able to look beyond this very fluffy, sickly and crippled body and see the beautiful wife he married 34 years ago. Isn’t that amazing? It’s like his love for me has given him rose color glasses. It makes me think of this beautiful song that Dottie Rambo wrote,

“He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need”.

Amazing Grace, shall always be my song of praise.
For it was grace that brought me liberty,
I do not know, just why He came to love me so.
He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.
I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary,
To view the cross, where Jesus died for me
How marvelous, His grace that caught my falling soul
He Looked beyond my fault and saw my need.

What a beautiful picture of how our Lord views us. We see each other’s faults, blemishes, and sins, but His Grace causes the Lord to look beyond our faults to see our need. Praise the Lord! I feel guilty because as I “people” watch; sometimes I cannot see beyond their faults to see their need! How convicting!

Lord, help me not to judge people. Help me to see others as you do and to be able to look beyond their faults so I too can see their need, especially their need for you. Thank you Heavenly Father for your amazing Grace and unconditional Love.

YOU WILL NEED TO MUTE THE PLAYLIST AT BOTTOM OF PAGE
Dottie Rambo & Family 1982