A Plea for Grace, Compassion & Humanity – Not Guilt and Judgment

I can't get over how compelled I feel to address the tragic death of the young boy who got left in his father's car recently. Actually, what I have to say has nothing to do with the accident itself. Of course it is horrible and heartbreaking and should serve as a reminder to parents of little ones to check the backseat before walking away from your car. But what's really bothering me is the reaction from some people and the vile things being said about this father, who just lost his son.

So having said that, please let tell you what I know and don't know about this situation.

I don’t know this man, the father…I don’t know the little boy or his family.

I do know that this is a horrible, tragic, heartbreaking accident. I know that I can’t even begin to imagine what the family is feeling right now. And I know that there are people out there who are saying and writing horrible things on social media. It’s amazing how many 'perfect' people appear after an incident like this...just in time to remind us of what we should have done and horrible we are.

I do know that what we should do is show this man some grace…and compassion…and some freakin’ humanity!

I'll admit that it’s very possible that at one point in my life – many, many years ago – I might have been one of those people…judging and blaming this man.

But I know that I have made some pretty major mistakes in my life…and I know that when I did, I couldn’t have felt any worse or any lower. There's nothing anyone could say to make me hate myself any more. You probably have felt the same way at some point…just overwhelmed by guilt and shame.

Don’t you think this poor daddy is hurting enough right now? Do we really need to pour on our judgmental thoughts? He has to live with this and relive those horrifying moments for the rest of his life. Isn't that punishment enough? How can you think about that...put yourself in his position...and NOT have empathy for that man and his family?

How about we show him and his family the same grace, compassion, and forgiveness that we’ve all received at some point.

I hope this doesn't fall on deaf ears or eyes. I hope you feel the same way and I hope you share this message if given the opportunity.