Falsely Filling in the Blanks (Just Curious -- Anyone Ever Make this Mistake?)

I was hasty, I will admit. And I am not proud of it.

I overheard part of a conversation.

I wasn’t eaves dropping (honest! I wasn’t), I just happened to hear something.

It was crowded in the room.  Lots of people were talking about lots of different things, and all of a sudden, I heard a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

It wasn’t gossip, but it was about something that I was concerned about, and even if it was only a partial story, I didn’t like what I heard.

And before you know it, I filled in the blanks on the parts that I had not heard, and quickly constructed a story in my head.

“This is not good. I’m upset by this,” I said to myself, reflecting on the story that I was certain was true.

I brooded about it for a while.

I cased out scenarios in my head on how to best deal with it.

I puffed and fumed inside my head a bit, too. Just a bit.

And then, I stopped. 

I stopped brooding. I stopped creating cases, and stopped puffing and fuming.

“This is not good,” I now said to myself.  “I do not like what I am hearing myself think!”

The Lord pushed in to my heart and suggested, ever so gently, ever so quietly, that perhaps I did not know everything.  Perhaps I made a mistake. Perhaps I needed to double-check my facts before I went too far.

I called a friend who I knew was in 'the know,' and confidentially and asked her if what I heard, could at all be true.

Turns out, I was guilty.  I was wrong.  I jumped to conclusions. I filled in the blanks, where I had no right to even pick up the pencil.

I repented to her, and I repented to the Lord.

Thankfully, (and to no credit to me) I did not act on what I heard. I would have made a fool of myself and probably, would have hurt someone along the way.

I’d like to say that I always extend grace, judge not and love lavishly.

But try as I will, I fall short. Regrettably. 

So, today, I am humbled, by the weakness of my own ways, but grateful for the Lord who intervened in my heart, showed me the truth and forgave me for my folly.

Proverbs 3:21-22 says, “…preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.”

Thank you, Lord, for Your grace.  Please help me to judge less, love more, and seek You first. Help me not to falsely fill in the blanks, but to be wise and discerning in all my ways, trusting in You. Amen.