Touching base with someone through the internet can be interesting. I have received a number of messages through the years and I love hearing from my readers. But recently a name came up on my screen that surprised me…someone that I haven’t seen for years and who had no reason to contact me.
When I clicked on the message, it was not personal as I had expected, but rather an advertisement to lose weight. The last thing I need to do is lose weight!
Some health issues in the past few years, plus my age, has whittled me down considerably. I spoke to a dietician recently who did an assessment of my weight, height, etc. and advised me that if I were younger, I should weigh about 123 pounds. I told her that if I weighed that I would be pregnant…for that is exactly what I weighed when I walked through the hospital doors a half century ago and said I was pretty sure my baby was going to arrive.
We agreed on a more attainable goal and I was given permission to eat almost anything I desired…including ice cream and to drink more water. Easy directions.
The email message made me realize how often a message sent is all wrong for the receiver. Even with the best intentions I have sometimes spoken with less tact than I should have. Occasionally , it has been the fault of the recipient but often my words just proved that I didn’t really know what I was talking about. It is a humbling experience.
Recently my younger sister phoned and spoke about a medical crisis in the family and I tentatively suggested that she pray about it…(I really know little about her relationship with God…I have seen her seldom through the years.)
“I am praying about it,” she shared.
How self-righteous of me to think she needed advice to pray…what I should have said of course is that I would keep her and her loved ones in my daily prayers. Just because someone is not practicing their faith as you are is no reason to believe they haven’t a relationship with God. Sometimes our messages are confusing to others. We need to get our facts straight first.
And my email friend…well, a gentle click and the message disappeared. There was no harm done and I pray that my words, to family and friends also “cause no harm.”
Image: By MichaelMaggs (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
