The destination is not the most important thing- it is what you glean from the paths along the way that makes all the difference. Ponder well, my friends…..
I had a great conversation with a friend about yawning. I am a great advocate of a good and hearty yawn – oh yesssss! You know that kind where your arms are outstretched, back is arched, and you make all the very animated faces and sounds? Now that is a good yawn. I was surprised to see him belly laugh when I went onto explain that a yawn, was not a good yawn unless about five people have at least heard it or witnessed it. LOL….I mean really? What’s up with the lil squeaky yawns? Yeah, yeah, yeah that’s cute, but sometimes you have yawn some things out. Yawn out that long work day. Yawn out the fact that you have been sitting on a conference call for three hours with no end in sight. Yawn out the fact that every morsel of your body is tired and there nothing like a good hearty yawn, to relax and awaken all at the same time.
Even if something appears to be true, it is important not to take what one side says as the complete truth. Sometimes people who are operating in a divisive mindset will capitalize on how you falter in a crisis or will rely on that thing that appears to be true to make themselves look good. They will say things like….you know how so and so is, OR she is just like that, I just try to be different, blah blah blah.
These type of people do hold the power as they are able to mask the hatred in their heart for the person that they are targeting and they clothe that hatred in false sincerity, appearing to be a peacemaker,an advocate, the nice guy…just enough to keep you on their side of the dividing line that they helped to create. If you are not careful you will stay on that side of their line, enslaved in deceit and blocked off from truth….a puppet to their agenda.
A nice long talk can solve so much, but if you never get that….know that whether you are on one side or the other, that God knows the intent of everything that is said and done, God knows the very fabric of heart and at the end of the day, we have to rest in that. Peace – Helen
Don’t ever allow embarrassment and humiliation to consume you. When you take a stand against your offenses and decide that you are worth more than the dysfunction that has been offered to you, people won’t laugh at what was done to you, instead they will most likely ponder the strength you must have in order to move forward. People will, on the other hand, laugh at you for being a darned fool… for following up behind what has already thrown you away. People rarely laugh at people for being strong.
A lady went to a vendor show to purchase some product for a project. She walked for a good hour before she came to a booth with the exact specifications that she was looking for. The man at the booth briefly talked about his product but seemed relentless on talking about the vendor that was across the hall. He told that woman about the vendor’s lawsuit over a faulty product, about his products are worthless compared to his, and that the vendor was more or less just a jerk or man. All of these ramblings made the woman so intrigued that she decided to go see the product of other vendor, even though she had her mind set on what she had just saw.
The woman walked a little more but then went across the hall to the vendor. Just as she had walked in the room the lights briefly went out his in his showcase, but he happily welcomed her in to the showcase. He explained that he had just started using a new case and was working out a few bugs in his displays and then ask if he had any questions. They talked for a while, she thanked him for his time, and then proceeded to leave the room. As she was leaving he thanked her again for stopping by and encouraged her to also see his brother across the hall. She stopped. “Your brother?”, she asked. “Yes Ma’am, see, same last name on the card, Ma’am” – he has a good product too, you should check him out, Good day to ya now”.
The woman went back across the hall to the vendor with the perfect specifications for her project. When she walked in the room he belted, “See what did I tell you, he can’t even keep his lights on. Well let’s go on and get your order on the truck Ma’am”. She looked at him and shook her head.
She said, “I was going to buy your product as this is exactly what I wanted. But I will not buy anything from someone who puts down their own brother as you did. If you treat your own flesh and blood that way, how will you treat me later down that line if I need you to honor the warranty on this product? He was having problems with his showcase, but you use that crisis to further try to make your own self look good. That lawsuit you mentioned was over 15 years ago and his product has been tested, tried and true, since then as I saw the quality records. You see sir, I am looking to buy a product that I trust from a person that I trust and I don’t trust anyone like you. While I am sure your brother is not perfect, he treated me kindly and never spoke a bad word against you, and quite honestly I think you are the jerk of a man. There is a murdering spirit on your tongue and while there is no blood from your brother, you are trying to kill him just the same.”
She walked across the hall, made the purchase and left without speaking of his enemy, clothed with the same DNA, just over yonder.
Should she have told him? My guess is that he probably already knew, so why bring it up – after all, with that purchase, he got the victory. He will probably continue to gain the victory every time as long as he keeps his focus as he did.
What is the moral of this story?
When people tell you things about other people, if it is going to affect how you deal with them, then you have the absolute responsibility to check it out. Even if it appears to be true, healthy people don’t go around destroying other people names, works, etc. unless they are trying to hide something about themselves. If you don’t find out for yourself, then you are nothing more than a pawn who is working someone else’s scheme. If you don’t, then you are part of the problem.
