Assumptions

Recently, I had a pretty horrific experience with assumptions. It opened my eyes to my own assumptions about people and life as well. It also reminded me of a humorous story my Dad told about two soldiers on a train in Germany after WWII.

Many troops were still in Germany after WWII as the country began reconstruction or rebuilding. A soldier who was the attache' or assistant to his colonel were on a train traveling for some time through the mountains. Seated across from them were two beautiful German women, obviously mother and daughter from their striking similarities. Neither spoke the others' language fluently enough to talk, not that there would be much desire to converse, so they traveled in silence. The conductor announced there would be a series of three tunnels coming and the last tunnel would keep the passengers in the dark for some time.

Within the first minute of the last tunnel, a loud kissing sound and SMACK! were heard by the passengers. Coming out of the tunnel and into the light, people could see the hand print burning on the cheek of the older superior officer as the mother and daughter glared at him.

The mother thought, "Hmmph! I know my daughter is beautiful, but that man had no right to kiss her. Now I know my daughter can take care of herself though as she gave him just what he deserved!"

The daughter thought, "Well, I know my mother is still quite pretty, but that officer had no right to try to kiss her! She certainly gave him what he deserved and showed him who is in control!"

The superior officer thought, "I know the young lady is pretty and the boy is young, but I do not like taking the blame for what he did. I most certainly do not!"

The young officer smiled to himself as he reflected, "What an opportunity! How often do you get to kiss the back of your own hand and slap the face of your superior officer and get away with it?!"

Assumptions. Dad told me the story with the point that I should never assume.

Yet I assume all the time. Like the cartoon, I get used to the road and path of my life. I use my experiences with people and relationships and trust those as I move forward.

That can be a problem, can't it? It keeps the illusion by doing so that I am in control of my life.

Just recently, I realized what it was like to have someone make bad assumptions about me. Like the officer in the story, there was nothing I could say to change that person's assumptions.

All that was left was to apologize and ask God to heal that relationship.

At the same time, I now examine under what assumptions am I operating daily? Is God a part of my daily thinking? Am I assuming things about God and others that are not true? How do I know truth from assumptions?

So, here I go again. Trusting God for healing of relationships. Praying for forgiveness.

-And re-examining my own assumptions.

How about you? What do you assume about others' behaviors? What do you assume versus what do you know about God's love and reaction to your own behavior?

I hope you join me in praying for healed relationships hurt by assumptions as we wait in-between-times.

For His glory,
Gretchen