Mike sent the following story with the warning not to assume. He’s right.
A man came into the pharmacy and said to the technician, “Do you have anything that will stop hiccups?”
The tech leaned over the counter and slapped the man’s face.
The man said, “What did you do that for?”
The tech replied, “Well, you don’t have any hiccups now, do you?”
The man replied, “I never did. I came in for my wife who’s out in the car.”
All of us make assumptions at one time or another. Hopefully, our assumptions never lead to slapping the wrong person. That’s never going to end well.
Mikes joke on assumptions got me thinking.
I assume the sun will come up in the east and I will get to work on time. I assume the Thursday Bible study will go off without a hitch and my afternoon meeting on Zoom won’t have any technical issues. I assume I will be able to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a lot of snacks and my cow that is currently in labor will deliver her calf without any problems. My list of assumptions goes on and on….
The problem with assumptions is that sooner or later, I get it wrong.
While I’d bet money the sun will rise in the east, there’s no guarantee I won’t get delayed by a train on the way to work. While I expect today’s Bible study to go smoothly, they are a pretty rough crowd. There’s no telling what may happen. My meeting on Zoom may have all sorts of technical issues. It’s happened before. I may or may not get to eat my way through the day. It depends what unexpected things happen at the church. Even though my cow has never had problems giving birth, there’s always a first time. Today may not go the way I expect. But life rarely does.
In my fifty-eight years on this earth, I haven’t learned much. But the one thing I know for sure is life is unpredictable, so never, ever take it for granted.
Relish and enjoy every moment because this time is a gift from God. Choose today to grab life with both hands and really live in the moment.
This is what the writer of Hebrews meant by saying, “Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship – a different kind of “sacrifice” – that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.“ (Hebrews 13:16 MSG)
Prayer: Dear Gracious Heavenly God, open my eyes so I can truly see the beauty of your creation. Open my ears so I may truly hear what your Holy Spirit is saying to me. Open my mind so that I may have the wisdom to make right choices. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Today’s devotional is has two lessons. First, don’t make assumptions. That’s bound to lead to trouble.
Second, don’t go around slapping people. That’s bound to lead to even more trouble.
I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.
Tom Robbins
Daily Devotionals by Dr. Tom Robbins 