A woman told her pastor this story. She had gone to a mall to do some shopping and decided to go to the food court for a soda pop and a candy bar. After getting her snack she looked around for an empty table but every one was occupied.
She finally saw one that only had one person at it, a young man. She asked if she could sit and he gestured toward the empty chair across from him. She sipped her drink and picked up her candy bar, opened it and took a bite then set the candy back on the table.
To her surprise the young man picked up the candy bar and took a big bite out it! She was horrified and embarrassed. Looking the man straight in the eye she took another bite from the candy bar and placed the remainder back on the table in front of him.
Again he picked up the candy bar, ate the rest of it and stared back at her! She told her pastor that she was so shocked by what he had done that she stood up, glared at the man, smashed flat a donut he had in front of him and stalked off.
When she got outside to her car she reached inside her purse to get her keys and pulled out her candy bar she had put in there after buying it.
Funny story, but how true when it comes to perceptions. Sometimes what we see, hear or physically feel isn’t the total truth.
Remember the story of the 5 blind men describing an elephant?
The first grabbed the trunk and told the others, “It’s a snake! I can feel the muscles as it squirms and tries to squeeze my arm!”
The second, who was holding the tail, said, “No, you’re wrong, it is a rope. See, I can feel the fraying at the end of it.”
The next man placed his hands on the side of the elephant. “What are you talking about? It is obviously a wall! It is wider than I can reach and almost taller than I am!”
The fourth man kneeling on the ground holding onto one of its legs stated, “You are all mistaken! It is definitely a tree as I have my arms around the trunk!”
The last man, running his hands all around the ears of the gentle giant told his friends, “It is a fan! Feel how large and flat it is and how it sways back and forth?”
Instead of seeing the bigger picture, they were each dependent solely upon their own limited perceptions and refused to accept anything the others had to say.
Do not be limited by your own perceptions! Many family arguments start because of perceptions and not looking at things from the other person’s view point. Be open to other people’s ideas and opinions. Even though you disagree with it, looking from their point of view might give you a better understanding of that person and strengthen your relationship with them.
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