We all make mistakes.

When we see someone who has fallen, often due to their own choices and actions, we have the opportunity to either kick them down for the mistake they made, or offer them our hand and help pull them up and get them back on their feet.

Why is it that so many of us choose to kick them down? 

Don't you think they know they messed up? Don't you think they already regret it? Don't you think they wish it never happened? Don't you think they want to fix it, or recover from it?

What does kicking them down achieve? 

Does it make us feel better? Is it a 'punishment' for their mistake? Do we lack so much understanding that we can't forgive them? Do we think that, because of one mistake, that person deserves to live in misery?

Why do we tie them to their wrongdoings? Why can't we forgive them, and help them take the right path instead? Isn't this person worthy of a second chance? Can't they be given the opportunity to learn from their mistake? 

Why do we fill ourselves with so much hate that we forget about the lost, lonely, fallen person who just needs a helping hand?

We all make mistakes, and we all know that the last thing we want afterwards is to be kicked down and shunned by the very people who we would look to for forgiveness and for support. 

Everyone will lose their way. When they come back, they should be welcomed, not pushed away and told to get lost again.

 When you a tell a child, "Don't let go of my hand, or you'll get lost", that child may not understand why they shouldn't let go of your hand. They think they can let go, but still not get lost. Their friends tell them it's okay to let go. Slowly they start to think they can let go without getting lost. So the kid lets go of your hand, and they do get lost. But when that kid comes running back, do you push them away? Tell them "No, you made a mistake, now there's no going back, no chance to recover from it,  you have to live with the result of this mistake for the rest of your life"? No. You grab hold of ther hand again.  The kid was crying and helpless and learned their lesson and won't ever make that mistake again.

The mistake didn't hurt you. It hurt the one who made the mistake. And they need help to recover from it. They don't deserve to never recover from it just because they made the mistake in the first place. They need your help. Helping them could save them. Pushing them away could cause them to continue on the wrong path. A little bit of love goes a long way.

The biggest mistake of all is kicking a brother or sister back down when they're trying to get back up.