Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:47:49 -0800 (PST)



Every single day,we read or see things and immediately draw our own conclusions. While some of our conclusions are right,some are not always as we read or see them. This is because some of our conclusions are based on either some pre-conceived notions or some kind of previous bad experience. I will give you an example.

Yesterday morning, I arrived at my place of work,only to see a beautiful and well written banner with these words:" HAPPY TENTH ANNIVERSARY, AMY" "Amy!why Amy?" I wondered silently. Not so much because Amy did not deserve it, but because I did not understand why anyone decided to recognize only Amy? How come? Just the other month my wife & I celebrated 26 years of our marriage without anyone saying a thing. I did not even bother to find out what was happening.

Life went on as usual until 2:00 pm when we had a staff meeting. The meeting was to be chaired by the assistant manager. At the beginning of the meeting,the manager stopped by to say a word or so before the assistant manager would take over. I was dumb founded when she opened the meeting with these words "Today is Amy ten year's anniversary with the company." This was followed by several remarks "Happy Anniversary!"

"See! You were wrong!" I said to myself. "Where did I get the wedding anniversary idea from?" I wondered as deep inside me I felt a strong sense of being too judgmental and reading my own interpretations into a banner that gave recognition and rightly so to a person who so much deserved it.

Although I was physically present at the meeting, my mind wandered how come I got it all wrong. I felt a sense of Awkwardness that I had not felt for a long time.

On my way home,it occurred to me that many are the times we have missed a point and judged a thought, a speech, a sermon, an advice, a decision, or an event that was not ill intent-ed in the first case.

I thought about the disciples who according to a story found in John chapter 4, found Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman at the well and reacted immediately "what is He talking with her about?"

If anything,this experience was one more lesson from the University of Hard Knocks. I decided that from yesterday onwards,I will be very careful as to how I arrive at my conclusions. How about you?

        Blessings.
        Pr Birai