Have you ever thought about bumper stickers? I mean, REALLY thought about them? Bumper stickers tell so much about a person. They announce to the world political beliefs, religious views, relationship issues and environmental commentary. Evaluating these labels people put on themselves is highly entertaining. When you see a car with "Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the paramedics."; "What if the hockey pokey really is what it's all about." or "Don't you think hard work must have killed someone?", you immediately make a judgement about the people driving the vehicles and their personality.
Labels, like bumper stickers, are a strange thing. No one wants one, yet everyone gets one. We see it in our associations with other people. The labels I currently hold are: daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, employee, co-worker and friend. These are just a few of the most important labels that I try to be good at. Then there are other things that I don't focus on as much like: customer, stake member, commuter, Arizona resident and American. I am not real good at all of these labels that I have been given.
Unfortunately, there are times we use labels to trap those individuals around us. We classify and only see them as one thing. I will always be too young, too old, too smart, too dumb, too sarcastic and the list goes on and on depending on who you talk to. The first label applied to me in the church is single. I actually like this label. I understand it and in a church of families, it is a logical step that it would be the first classification. The issue isn't the label itself, but the definition and perception of people and what this label means. It does not mean that all single people are the same with the same needs. We are not cookie cutter and the experiences that have lead us to this place in life are as diverse as the sands of the sea.
It is a unenlightened view of the world and our fellow brothers and sisters to group them this way. For example, a friend of mine teaches institute and she ran into one of her students at a festival where she was taking a lesson on how to play the saw. Now, I realize that learning to play the saw is not typical situation. That is what makes this friend phenomenal, her ability to want to experience life and the things it has to offer. The student that saw her did not recognize her at first because he only saw her as this spiritual giant always thinking and talking about spiritual things and not someone that would be in a hoe down playing the saw. In reality, that is exactly what we do. I know I have made those common mistakes when I place labels on people in families. We need to take a step back and imagine what else these people offer and their situations. Try to take them out of their normal context to see where we can help them.
Our perceptions come out in our communications with others, whether we want them to our not. I have heard every insensitive remark at this point. Let's see, things like, I choose a career over being married. As a side note, I am sure that everyone aspires to be a legal assistant. I would hope that if I was going to choose a career over being married that it would be one that would be worth it. Ambassador maybe. Or I am to smart to get married. I don't even know what that means. The translations could be numerous, maybe ugly with a great personality or as my friend from college would say, "I have a sweet spirit."
It is my hope that we can develop a sensitivity to those labels we place on people. That even though they may carry a particular label, that we get to know the person underneath. This can be applied to anyone we have labeled. I recently made a rash judgement about someone with a label I placed on him. I want to repent and do better and will begin now. I am grateful that the Savior places labels on us. Labels that are always just, merciful and kind. I pray I maybe live more fully to merit and inherit the label of being His friend.
