Jennifer Livingston, a news anchor in La Crosse, Wisconsin was verbally assaulted earlier this month.

She was scolded for being irresponsible, being fat and in the public eye.

She was told she was being inconsiderate by being overweight and presenting a bad image for impressionable young girls.

Her measured thoughtful rebuke to the attack has gone viral on the internet. You should take the time to view it.

When will we ever learn that Christ meant it when He said, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy."

The book of Job states, "A man in trouble about to slip is like a lamp despised by a man whose feet are at ease."

From our comfortable perch in life, with a smug countenance we look down with disdain upon a weaker brother or sister. Therefore, without effort or thought we shoot out the lip, wag the head and sneer, "Tsk,Tsk, How could they? Such a disgrace."

There is a latent cruel meanness in the human spirit that is stoked by the fires of hell. It is said of them,"Their throat is an open sepulchre, the poison of asps is under their lips. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways."

How easily we forge that God, creator of all things, will not be mocked. We fail to remember that lurking around the corner of life are old age, time and chance.

They are all inclusive.

They await every man, woman or child.

Their strengths or weaknesses are available to every human being.

Since we are not omnipotent, we must be careful to allow room for their influences. We must lodge in our bank of destiny kind deposits to ensure kind returns.

Beware: the person you curse today may become your savior tomorrow.

You are not omniscient so you cannot discern or foretell the twists and turns in the road of life. Never say,"I won't be caught dead in that place". You just might be.

God must observe with a forgiving humor our feeble attempts to feel and appear superior. That is why whenever He chooses to deal with or employ a man or woman, he goes outside the box of our expectations. He uses the base things of this world to perform his mighty acts after the counsel of his own will.

Without our approval or agreement, without regard for culture, background, physique or social standing, he chooses vessels to bring about his purpose. Time, place, circumstance, short or tall, fat or skinny are not barriers to him. They may not meet your idea of the perfect candidate but in the final analysis your opinion does not matter.

As Jennifer so astutely replied to her critic,"you don't know me."

Seemingly forever, human beings have used an apparent physical shortcoming to denigrate and limit the destiny of another. It is written, "man looks on the outside but God looks on the heart."

They do not have all the facts. Never ever allow another fallible human being to define your destiny by a perceived debility.

On the highway to success, whenever you are tired, discouraged or depressed, steal a glance back at the life of:

Joseph, who in one day, moved from languishing in the prison to ruling in the palace,

Moses, the non-eloquent speaker and ex murderer who delivered the children of Israel from bondage,

Rahab, the prostitute, who saved the two spies who came to view the land,

David, a forgotten shepherd boy who became Israel's greatest king;

Daniel, a Hebrew slave in Babylon who became its chief minister;

Paul, an assassin and terrorist, who became a missionary, teacher and writer;

Martin Luther King, a Negro preacher who inspired his people to liberate themselves from the shackles of segregation.

Nelson Mandela, the ex-convict who dismantle the horrific institution of apartheid.

They were all limited by some circumstance; yet, they never gave in, gave out or gave up because somebody thought they were not worthy enough.

Small people sit on the sidelines and criticize while great people get up, get in, get going and fight.

There is a common thread running through the lives of all those who would choose to encourage and elevate the human condition.

As they passed through the wringer of life, every drop of pride and arrogance were squeezed out of them. Left behind was a compassionate, merciful, understanding creature, quick to empathize and identify with lack or weakness.

They are fully conversant and thoroughly familiar with the line of Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird,

"To really understand what a man is going through, you've got to put on his skin and walk around in it a little while."

V. Knowles is a husband and father with an interest in penning issues that serve to uplift mankind. He melds his love for Classic literature, The Bible and pop culture - as sordid as it may be - into highly relatable columns of truth, faith and justice. Hence the name: Just Thinking. If he's not buried in a book or penning his next column, you may find him pinned to his sectional watching a good old Country and Western flick.