Jess fumed and sputtered to herself,”Here it is, our fifth anniversary and he’s already forgetting! “The truth will set you free,” what kind of sarcastic text response is that? I’ll bet he comes home with a pitiful box of Great Value chocolates… and not even dark chocolate! If I find a Walmart receipt for after 6:00pm, I’ll… well I’ll… well I don’ t know what I’ll do, but he’ll become reacquainted with the couch tonight, that’s for sure!”
Over the next hour, she heard rustling and banging from the back deck, but she refused to even go to that side of the house. Suddenly she heard a tentative knock on the back door. She ignored it, thinking of the unwanted chocolates. A minute passed. Another gentle knock. Sighing, she resigned herself to her fate and got up, stomping her way through the house. She opened the back door with an exaggerated sigh….
and her mouth dropped open as she stared at her allegedly forgetful husband, dressed in a tuxedo, standing by a table complete with a linen tablecloth. The deck was lit with torches, soft music playing from somewhere. China, silver, and crystal shone in the light of two tall candles gracing the table. She saw pasta, steamed vegetables, a small salad, crusty bread in a basket, and a chocolate cheesecake waiting on a side table. And yes, it was DARK chocolate!
“May I escort you to your usual table, ma’am?” he said with a smile.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 NIV.
How often do we spend energy worrying up ideas in our heads about what might be, when the truth is actually far better, or at least not near as bad as we imagine? Can you think of an example in the last few weeks?
Maybe you make assumptions about a teenager and their homework. Maybe you imagine someone at work snubbing you. Maybe missing a church meeting notification has you assuming you are being excluded.
Later you find out that the teen stopped to help a struggling, elderly neighbor cover some bushes before the night’s frost. Your friend at work was fighting a fever and was about to go home sick. You wrote your email address down for the church secretary as .com instead of .net. The truth will set you free. Free from worrying about fairness, free from anger, free from misguided angry thoughts and responses.
I choose to leave the assumptions for others. Will you? Let’s focus on what really is, instead of what might be. If you do, as Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.”