January 12, 2010

Never Assume

READY8 “We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of these assumptions.”
~ Stephen R. Covey

AIM8 I read the following story a year or so ago and it had a profound impact on my day. As I reread the story today, I again found myself shaking my head and wondering…could this really happen? In today’s society, with so many shallow minds and cold hearts I’m afraid it really could. Grab a tall glass of milk to enjoy with your cookies!

The Cookie Thief
A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shops.
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,
That the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be.
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye."

With each cookie she took, he took one too,
When only one was left, she wondered what he would do.
With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other,
She snatched it from him and thought... oooh, brother.
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude,
Why he didn't even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
Then she sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair,
The others were his, and he tried to share.
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

by Valerie Cox

FIRE!8 Do not jump to conclusions! There will be moments in your life when you feel you are certain you are correct about a situation. Be wise and ask questions before you use poor judgment and take action based on your assumptions. Simply give another person a chance to explain. Remember, God gives us opportunities to explain our circumstances to Him every day. However, He never requires an explanation. He already understands.


Be Excellent!
Lori

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