Check Your Assumptions

PREPARATION

The unsubscribe notice dropped into my inbox. It wasn't a total surprise, people change email addresses and change their minds, but this time God nudged me to ask what's happening. So I responded with a personal email. The reply came within seconds.

I responded, "So, if you close your eyes, does that mean everything around you disappears? Or, is everything still there, even if you can't sense it, or see it?"

Our conversation is continuing...

Old Ezekiel had to be reminded. God can do anything, even when we assume it's impossible. Can these bones live again, even if the people feel dried up and hopeless? Speak to them!

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD (Ezekiel 37:12-14 NIV).

And the bones rattled and assumptions shattered.

Robert Kegan tells about a friend from Australia who came to the USA for a sabbatical and had difficulty adjusting to driving.

"It's not just that you drive on the wrong side of the road," she said, "you even put the steering wheels on the wrong side of your cars. I can't tell you how many times I would pile into the right side of the car, only to rediscover that I needed to get out and walk around to the door on the left side."

We are creatures of habit and sometimes habits turn into traditions, and traditions into assumptions. Kegan's friend continued, "One time when my mind was on the six other things I had to do that day, I climbed in the car on the right side, pulled out my keys and looked up and said to myself, 'Things have really gotten out of hand here in the States, the robbers even steal your steering wheels.'"

The evidence was just an arm's length away, but why should we look? After all we know, right?

There may be evidence of God's presence, or more faith, more joy, and more of life just an arm's length away and we are too set in our ways or too certain to even look. Blinded by assumptions!

INSPIRATION

Cindi explained, "My friend Jennifer is a great therapist. She helps people cope with their problems and deal with issues, but in the real world she is a little out of touch."

"What do you mean?" I replied.

"Well, last night after a long day, we met for dinner. Before our salads arrived, she asked, 'You know what "lol" stands for?'

"Jennifer confessed, 'I wish I would have asked you yesterday. This morning I sent out three sympathy cards to grieving clients. I always write something personal like "sorry to hear of your loss" or, "I just heard about the death of." Well, today I thought I would add to my regular words, so believing I already knew what "lol" meant, I added it to the close of each card.'

"NO!

"'I thought "lol" meant, "lots of love,"' Jennifer confessed.

"I told her that she had to contact them, to call them right now before the card gets there.

"She did.

"Then, after a bit, we both laughed out loud."

MOTIVATION

We have all experienced bad assumptions. Sometimes we're blinded by them. We feel like we have to be right even when we're wrong. Bad Assumptions rob us of life and everything good that goes with it.

Time to break old habits. Time to test assumptions.

God has never left us, even if we don't sense Him.