Location: The beach town, Sihanoukvile, Cambodia
Lodging: Random cheap hostel/inn within our World Race Budget a block down from the beach
There are two guys outside of our bedroom window drinking beer and smoking pot. They have been doing it for a few hours now and the smell is inside of our bedroom.
I am NOT happy. I come back from having a great dinner with Brittney and a walk along the beach to this situation. In the past, I probably wouldn't have thought of doing anything about it, but tonight I knew that it could be changed if I said something. In my perfect plan, I would tell the people at the front desk, they would come up and tell the people that they couldn't smoke and then they would leave. Fool proof plan, right?
I go downstairs and they look at me and said,
"We don't have a policy against smoking so you can just ask them to move because it is bothering you. I am sure they won't have a problem with that. If there is a problem after that, then you can come to us".
Not pleased with their response, I reluctantly agreed and then went back to my room. I sat on my bed for a moment debating what I was going to do. The truth? I was scared to talk to them. I was afraid of what they were going to say to me. I knew that the people down at the front were right and that since it wasn't illegal, it was my responsibility to ask them to move or open the window to outside to get the smell moving outside. So I took responsibility and got some courage and went and talked to them.
"Hi. Do you guys mind opening that door? The smoke smell is getting into our room from that window."
Their response? "Sure" and they opened the door and the smell started to go away.
Painless. Easy. No big deal. Why was I so scared? The truth is that I completely judged them for what they were doing because they didn't line up with what I do. I labeled them. Instead of seeing them as normal people, I immediately chose to see them as "bad" and "scary". God put me in my place pretty quickly with that. He showed me how quickly I am to judge people who are different than me. I probably have judged most/all of you at some point if I am completely honest. But what is so amazing to me is that even though I judged the guys smoking pot, Jesus still loves me. Even though those guys are smoking and drinking outside of my window, Jesus still loves them. My sin of judging them is no different than their sins. We are equal sinners and we both need Jesus and none of us can change our hearts without Him. I I feel like God is going to use this moment to allow me to see the people here visiting the beach in a new light this week. I am looking forward to seeing what God has up his sleeve.
