Vain Imaginations

The older woman and her electronic shopping cart quickly annoyed me. She seemed to purposefully drive it in the middle of the aisle so I couldn't pass her with my overloaded cart of groceries. Usually it wouldn't bother me, but today I was in a hurry. I had ten minutes before the first pitch of my son's baseball game and I still had to get home and unpack the groceries. I politely said, "Excuse me". Hoping she would move over to one side of the aisle so I could pass by her. She didn't respond, she didn't even acknowledge me.

Maybe she didn't hear me, I thought, so I said it again, this time a little louder, "Excuse me, could I move my cart past you please?" With that she jolted the brakes and quickly turned around to get a glimpse of me. I was a little taken off guard by the look on her face; it was a surprised look as if she didn't see me. I thought she was going to respond, but she didn't say a word. She just sat there, staring at me. I was still constricted behind her because the cart was directly centered in the middle of the aisle, I wondered what she was doing and the point she was trying to make. By now I was infuriated, surely this woman was intentionally blocking me from passing her and I couldn't figure out for the life of me why!

As she starred me down, I explained again that I wanted to pass her because I was running late for my son's baseball game. She paused for a few seconds and then used her hands to communicate with me. As she began to sign and point I then realized she was deaf and she hadn't noticed I was behind her the entire time. I was completely embarrassed and tried quickly to scoot around her as to not look any more ridiculous when she reached out to grab my arm and pointed to the top shelf. I asked her if there was something on the top she needed me to get for her, I think she was able to understand me because she intently watched my lips. She nodded her head yes. I began to aimlessly reach for items on the top shelf, she kept shaking her head no until my fingers reached the can of baking powder and she nodded yes. She held up two fingers so I grabbed for two cans of baking soda and then placed them in her cart. She gestured back in sign language "thank you" and smiled, giving me a wink as I finally made my way past her.

Life is all about perspective. Sometimes we "presume" something to be when really it isn't that way at all.  We drive past a co-worker in the neighborhood and we wave but they don't wave back. We jump to the conclusion they are really rude, but the truth could be they didn't know you drove that car. We pick up our child in the car rider line and wave to our child's teacher on duty. She doesn't wave back and we immediately begin to rationalize why she didn't. It could be she has too many little kids to watch and she didn't notice you from the glare on the car. Or maybe she wasn't even looking in your direction, sunglasses can be deceiving at times. A friend blogged about a certain subject or put an inspirational image quote on her FaceBook wall that just happened to be relating to an issue you were struggling with and immediately you presume her blog or post was directed specifically towards you.

Perspective is the way in which one regards situations, circumstances, reactions and makes a judgment based upon limited facts.  When we have limited information and make assumptions about a situation based upon our perspective we can sometimes be wrong about the entire situation. Sometimes (like in the example I encountered at the grocery store) we can create a problem when there really isn't one there.  This is what the bible refers to as "vain imaginations". Vain imaginations are any thoughts or reactions that are rooted in truth but perverted by imagination.

The truth is the only real power the enemy has over us is the power of deception. Most bondage to the enemy can be directly tied to some form of wrong thinking. It's important not to play into the enemies "mind games" and presume or make assumptions. We could find out that we were completely wrong in our thinking and suffer irrevocable consequences because we simply let our mind wander.

Live life without presumptions, assumptions or vain imaginations. Don't be so quick to analyze everyone around you and everything they did or didn't do. It's possible you are seeing into things more than you should, and if so, the enemy has you trapped in a place where he can wreck havoc.

II Corinthians 10:5

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought and make it obedient unto God.

Blessings, Polly