Stop Ignoring the Obvious

Ever done something that you knew beforehand wasn't going to work but you did it anyway? I have.

Just recently, I was on my way home and when I got off at my freeway exit I saw that the traffic was being rerouted away from a bad accident. This was the main thoroughfare that I actually live off of, and to be detoured wasn't going to take me that far out of the way, but I was on a tight schedule and ready to get home. Apparently, my fellow drivers were also not willing to go out of their way either. As we took the U-turn onto the feeder road, each of us blindly following the other, the traffic turned on a side street that had a "Dead End" sign prominently displayed on the corner. However, all of us chose to ignore the sign and followed the procession of traffic onto the street anyway. Even a city bus driver followed suit; and you would think he, of all people, would have known better. Looking back on it, I think the fact that someone who presumably would have more knowledge of the streets than I did influenced me to go against my better judgment. Hmmm....

Anyway, we all inevitably ended up turning around (some, like the city bus, with great difficulty) and taking the "out of the way" route after all. After turning around and getting back to that same corner, something struck me. I saw other cars rounding that same corner, also ignoring the sign as well as the rest of us who had turned around trying to tell them not to turn down that street.

Wow! What makes us so determined to continue going the wrong way even when we KNOW that it's not going to turn out right? What drives us to ignore the obvious? More importantly, what is driving YOU to ignore the obvious right now? If you're making the same bad choices that have failed you before, it's time to ask yourself 'Why?'.

Let me know what answers you come up with.

Flakiness is Better on Biscuits

There's nothing better on a Saturday morning than a fresh-baked batch of good 'ol buttery, flaky biscuits! Looking at this picture, can't you just smell 'em. Mmmmm...

Okay, okay. Now let's get to the point. Why am I bringing up biscuits? Because that's one of the few places where flakiness is actually appreciated. However, it's not too attractive on a person's character.

Be honest. Can people rely on you to keep your word? Let's do a check-up.

• Do you frequently make plans with friends or co-workers but end of backing out at the last minute?
• Do you sometimes over-promise and under-deliver to your employer, employees, or organization members?
• Are you nice to certain people only when you want something from them?
• Do you flippantly agree to support someone's fundraiser or cause but then renege when it's time to pay up?
• Do you "really" work only when being watched?
• Do you wait till the last minute to get a project done, then push your work off on others when the deadline approaches?
• Do you make excuses about why you couldn't follow up on an important phone call or email?
• Do you frequently keep others waiting on you?

If you just let out an "ouch" here and there as you read this, chances are you may be flaky. A flaky person is someone who is just plain unreliable. Now, I know that all of us have a little flakiness about us sometimes. But what I'm actually talking about are frequent offenders; those people who just don't have enough regard for others.

If you're honest enough to admit that you've committed some of the above offenses more often than not, there's no shame here. Admitting it is the first step. The next step is to find out why you behave this way, then pray and ask God to help you change.

There used to be an old saying back in the 80's, "word is bond." It was a way of saying, "You can depend on me." People who are known for being dependable have far better relationships and far more peaceful lives. God desires that for you. Do you desire it for yourself?

Let's take to heart what God's Word has to say about empty promises.

"And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, 'God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong." ~ Matthew 5:33-37

Remember, flakiness is only appreciated on biscuits :-)