I am a member of several groups on Facebook. In one particular group, there was a misunderstanding about the actions that one of the figureheads of the group had taken. We will call her Sally. Sally was posting things on her own social media that didn't line up with what we knew to be true based on conversations she had been having with those in the group. It had appeared that Sally had intentionally lied to the group for her own personal gain. It started with one person who noticed the discrepancy and they posted it in the group. Then someone else commented on it saying that Sally was acting shady and something wasn't lining up. It was a like a wildfire. Within a matter of hours, accusations were being flung back and forth and the very character of this woman was being called into question over and over again. There was no giving Sally the benefit of the doubt. People were demanding answers.
I sat back and watched this happening. I completely understood why all of these ladies were feeling hurt and betrayed based on what we were seeing but something wasn't sitting right with me. By all appearances, we had been betrayed, but that betrayal didn't line up with who Sally had already proven herself to be.
We all know some people in our worlds who can pull off some pretty shady stuff. When they act out or do something hurtful, we aren't really surprised. They have a history of flying off the handle, or putting their needs before everyone else, or doing things to hurt others. That wasn't the case with Sally. Sally was someone we considered a friend. Sally has always been genuine and authentic, sharing her heart with others. Time and time again she has done the right thing, even in situations where it was going to cost her dearly. She has personally loved on a number of us in the group and given us wisdom and guidance through her words. So what I was seeing unfold before me just didn't make any sense.
I jumped into the middle of the group chat and mentioned that I was sure that Sally didn't intentionally do the things that she was being accused of and that Sally would be devastated when she got on-line and realize how much she had unintentionally hurt everyone. I explained that I could understand why everyone had felt betrayed. Even I wanted to know why everything had gone down the way that it did. However, with no actual information and only what had been posted on social media, I reminded them of the importance of focusing on who Sally had already proven herself to be to us.
Now, you might think this blog post is about how things are so easily misinterpreted through social media, texts, emails and how nothing beats a good face to face communication. While this is true, you would be wrong. This is a blog post about how God hit me right upside the head with my own words. He likes to do that to me from time to time.
As I was driving back to Florida, I was thinking about how quickly everyone in the group turned on Sally. By the way, Sally was devastated. It was all a misunderstanding. Sally has apologized to the group numerous times and we are all back to loving each other again. Anyway, I was thinking about how with one little action that didn't line up with what they thought should be happening, they turned against Sally and called into question the very nature of who she is. I was driving and thinking about how glad I was that I didn't jump on that bandwagon. I was feeling pretty prideful. How many know that God can humble us very quickly? God whispered every so gently to my soul, "How is that any different than the way you treat me?" Ouch!!
God began to reveal to me how time and time again when things don't work out the way that I think they should, that one of my first reactions is to call into question the very nature of God. He is so mean for allowing this to happen to me. God must not love me or He wouldn't allow me to suffer this way. He doesn't care about me or He wouldn't ask me to do this hard thing. I turn on Him so quickly. I don't wait for clarity or an explanation. I don't give God the chance to show me things from His perspective.
I need to be able to give God the same grace that I gave Sally. When something doesn't look right and all appearances would have me believe that God is not looking out for me, I need to rely on who He has already proven Himself to be. He has proven that He loves me, unconditionally. Even when I pull away from Him, He works to woo me back. To bring me in close so He can comfort me and heal me. He encourages me. He gives me the strength to keep going when I think the pain of something is too much. He consistently works things out for my good in a way that I know it could have only come from God. He is faithful to me. To paraphrase Max Lucado, God has proven himself, now it's my job to trust Him. May I never forget it.
