She was in the bathroom stall when two other women entered the ladies lounge. “Can you believe he came?” the one snorted. “And where did he find her?!”
My friend had accompanied her new husband to the funeral of his ex-wife. Pretty noble if you ask me. I don’t know how many other women would have agreed to such an outing.
Exiting her place of concealment, to the horror of the pair, my friend calmly introduced herself, then happened to present a bit of information in the form of a question that let the women know she was a force to be reckoned with—not taunted.
The point is, they had their information wrong. About my friend, and other things if truth be told. It reminds me of a story found in 2 Kings 7.
It goes like this: a prophet of God let’s a king know that their current famine is about to be over. They don’t believe him. Meanwhile, four lepers decide to visit a neighboring town. What have they got to lose? No one in their hometown wants them, so why not try their odds elsewhere.
When the men arrive, they find a deserted village that looks like people have evacuated under stress. Diving into the new found loot they eat, drink and laugh until they remember the famine back home. Deciding to promptly return and share the good news, as that information was shouted through the palace, the king arose from his bed in the middle of the night only to say, “It’s a trap. The villagers are hiding in the fields. If we go they’ll capture us.” Which wasn’t the case at all. He had it all wrong.
When they sent out scouts, the men returned and the loot came with them, and the town’s famine ended. Happiness for all.
The point is, the ladies in the bathroom had an idea they knew the facts. They didn’t. The king was given a prophecy by the man of God, but he blew it off. Why? Because he knew better. When the lepers brought news of free spoil, again, the king convinced he knew the score. He didn’t.
So what’s the point? Many times in life we don’t look for or value the truth. We work on and base our decisions and actions on emotions rather than facts. That’s a scary place to live.
As you go into your day, watch and see how many times statements, and decisions, are made based on beliefs or feelings, not exact data. Don’t let that be you. Rise above. Hold high the standard, and point the way for others to follow. I promise— it will be better than you think.
—Just my thoughts.
S.
