Assumptions- and the pain caused.

I am naturally an extroverted person. I love people and the energy they bring to any situation, however, I am slowly learning the value and solace of the introvert. As 'the life of the party', 'the energetic one', or 'the loud mouth' I never took the time to reflect, it was always full throttle forward. For whatever reason life has slowed me down and I enjoy looking to improve and adapt who I am as a Christian and father/husband. It was in a ponder session that I found out the heart of what I want to share today.

Growing up an extrovert was fun! Never a dull moment and my proclivity to be with people helped me learn how to interact very quickly. Due to the fact that I loved being with people I quickly began to 'read' people. Not in a creep way, just project what that person was like. The bad part is that I was pretty good at it. Give me a few minutes with someone and I could tell you their tendencies without observing them. There is actually a formula for it, I was not aware of that at the time, I just had a feeling about the person. 

One day I met a guy at college that really started me thinking. I knew of the guy before, but today he drove up in a nice car, that I was sure his rich Dad had paid for, to pick up a girl, that I was not particularly fond of, to take on a date, that would no doubt be paid for with Dad's credit card. As you can tell, I had very high hopes of this kat being a real good guy (sarcasm intended). 

That was my assumption. 

A few months later I asked this guy, 'do you remember' the first time I ever saw you? You drove up in your Dad's car to pick her up? He sheepishly replied, ' man, I felt like such a dork!' We both shared a good laugh and continued on with our conversation.

So what is the point of this anecdote? 

As much practice as I had on 'getting a bead' on people I was dead wrong, as it turns out the gentleman is currently a friend of mine. 

My assumption had the potential to ruin a great friendship in my life. 

Assumptions are funny like that. They take what seems to be and then creates fact. They skew reality to fit our perceptions. They project on to the assumed what may never be true. I've learned that, with people, assumptions are rarely true and often painful for those people on whom assumptions are cast. 

It is our duty, as Christians, to find out the truth before we cast judgment on the sinner or saint. Jesus never assumed, he knew all things: we do not have that luxury.

As a wise man once said, "Err on the side of mercy". You'll get burned, there is no way around that, but you won't have 'egg on your face'.