You would think after this many years of marriage that I would have heard every story there is to tell from my husband. But the one thing that never changes is that ability of his to pop out with the unexpected.
Yesterday after church he shared about the time when he lived in Mississippi and he walked outside and heard someone screaming. Following the sound, his eyes traveled upward. There above him was a sight to behold. A little boy was tied in a golf bag and swung precariously in a tree! His three older brothers had tied him in the bag, hoisted him into the tree and left him there!
Now I don't know how he eventually got the little fellow down. It didn't actually cross my mind to ask. But it did get me to thinking. So hang with me for a minute. ;)
All this time of knowing this person so well and I never had heard this story. How many people are there in your life that you don't know all their stories? I know, improper grammar but still, you get my drift.
How many relationships are you missing out on? How many stories are you unaware of, whether they be funny or sad? Maybe you know the stories that lie on the surface. But you have no idea what the deeper plot actually held. And you are missing out on a blessing because of it.
Sometimes listening to the surface stories (perhaps along with the accompanying gossip) means you only see the scar and you know nothing of the pain that caused it. Have you ever been told things about someone you don't know very well? It causes you to form an opinion of them. Then later you have the opportunity to get to know them better and you think, "Hmmm, they're pretty cool. That doesn't match up somehow with what I thought!" Were you brave enough to forge ahead and get to know them on a deeper level? Or despite the intrigue, did you go ahead and stick with your original impression, based on what you were told or what you assumed?
If you are basing your perceptions of others based on what you've been told, I want to urge you to take the time to get to know them for yourself. Many times when people paint a negative picture it's because they have their own agenda. If this person looks bad it will hide my faults in the situation. The thought might not be stated that clearly but it is at the root. So they give their version to this one, who passes it on, who tells you, and the next thing you know you have a surface story free of pesky details that would only serve to flesh it out to truth!
It happens in school, the workplace, the community, churches, and even in families. (everyone knows the black sheep, right?) Meanwhile, those deeper stories are carried around in the hearts of loving people who have a lot to offer. Look around you. Who are you missing out on? Who are your children missing out on?
All that because years ago some mean little boys played a prank on their younger brother! :)
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