Thursday, July 26, 2007
Jumping to Conclusions
One of my favorite snacks is candy-coated almonds. My wife makes some of the
best. One year she made some to give as gifts, and I was told not to eat any of them.
Later, she told me that she would leave a few of the almonds on the kitchen counter
for me when I arrived home in the evening.
Savoring the thought of such a treat, I hastened to the kitchen that evening. The
light was turned off in the kitchen, but in the dim light I could see a dish on the
counter. I quickly put a handful in my mouth. Anticipating a delicious delicacy, I was
taken back by the awful taste in my mouth. What happened? They tasted awful. Yuk!
I turned on the light to see what I was eating. There in the bright light I saw that
what I thought was candy-coated almonds, was actually, of all things, dog food! While
cleaning the floor, my wife had put the dog's food dish on the counter next to the
candy.
There is a moral to this story--not about being careful what we put in our
mouths-–but being careful about jumping to conclusions. Often we hear negative
comments about others. Sometimes the information is incomplete or inaccurate.
Here's where we need to be careful. Much harm can be done when we begin to
"jump to conclusions." We must not conclude we know what happened and why
someone acted the way they did until we have all the facts. We need to "turn on the
lights" to make sure we know what happened. It's not a good idea to go about "in the
dim light." We may have to eat our own words--which can taste worse than dog food.
He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him.
Proverbs 18:13
There is no easy way to remove one's foot from the mouth.
Those who jump to conclusions often make hard landings.
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