“Go Georgia Packers”! Perception & reality seem to seldom match. Some Missionary friends stopped by today to catch the Packers&Bears game. NFL commentary in Spanish can be funny – but what’s funnier is Karley commentary (our 13 yr old). She kept making a big deal about wanting the Packers to win. She’s not into the NFL & I didn’t know she even knew who the Packers were, so I finally asked, “why do want the Packers to win”? “Because they’re from Georgia and Georgia is close to Alabama”, was her enthusiastic reply. Of course we all busted out in hysterics, I could have used a couple puffs of albuterol! Well, at least she recognized the “G’, just the wrong color & league!
Going with what we ‘think’ we know can really get us into trouble sometimes. Usually, it just leaves us a little embarrassed. I’m getting a daily dose of that as we are trying to learn Spanish here in Costa Rica. Just today, we stopped at a little Mexican Restaurant and I confidently ordered lunch for Sophia (in Spanish). What arrived on her plate & what I thought was going to arrive, were not remotely related!
Many have paid a much greater price for their false perceptions, like this guy from Newton, NC. Kenneth Charles Barger, 47, awoke to the sudden sound of a ringing telephone beside his bed, he reached for the phone but grabbed instead his Smith & Wesson .38 Special which he kept on the bedside table next to the phone. The gun apparently discharged as he drew it to his ear thinking it was the phone. Please don’t get your S&W confused with your phone!
Even more importantly, we need to be careful about our spiritual perceptions. Getting it wrong there could leave us paying for a loooooooooong time. Let’s pull out our bibles and get a good dose of reality. Romans 8, Proverbs 3, James…..