This photo reminds me of a joke I heard a while back. When looking through her dirty window, a woman complained about her neighbor hanging out her still soiled clothes. Maybe she should’ve washed her windows before she passed judgement.

When you’re retired and don’t have much to do, we like to look out our windows. What we see might not be what is really happening once our imagination takes over. I love the group of four side by side windows, next to where I do my blog each morning. I get to view my garden. I enjoy the new growth. I see critters like squirrels, bunnies and lots of birds. From time to time, a police car may appear, creating all kinds of thoughts. You might see your neighbors carrying a large chunk of metal from somewhere down the road. They look suspicious to you. You see a man on a bike, stopping at the same place every day – meeting someone – exchanging something and riding off. Having a wild imagination, I could dream up all kinds of stories from these actions.

When we look through dirty windows, we aren’t getting a real clear view of what’s actually happening. If you remember the movie, “Rear Window,” you’ll understand what I’m saying. James Stewart played an injured photographer who was laid up. To pass the time, he would watch the goings on outside of the window of his apartment complex. He even used his wide angled lens to get closer views. He named some of the people in his view – like Miss Torso and Miss Lonely Heart. He sees something unusual going on in one apartment and believes a murder has occurred. This Alfred Hitchcock thriller has you on the edge of your seat throughout. Was Stewart’s character imagining all of this? Was he blowing things out of proportion? Don’t we do the same things when we pass judgement on those we don’t even know?

When we don’t have all the facts – when our judgement is clouded – when our own windows are so dirty, we aren’t getting a clear picture – we’re bound to make mistakes. The ninth commandment reminds us not to bear false witness against our neighbor. Each of the commandments was written by God Himself, so we know He means what He says. They were designed to show us how relate to God as well as the people in our lives.

Proverbs 19:9 ESV “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.”

THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR ANOTHER DAY!