My wife and I watch the early news as we get up and leave the house. The news reported that someone had sent a woman shirtless pictures of himself. I asked my wife if that's what men are doing now. She said she didn't know.
So, I thought I would have some fun with her. After getting to my office, I locked the door, took my shirt off and sent this message with the picture: "Since all the other husbands were sending these to their wives; I didn't want you to be deprived." I hit send.
The problem was that I didn't send the message to her. I didn't check to see that she wasn't the last person to send me a message. The last one was the Metro in Washington DC. I had signed up for alerts during hurricane Sandy because I needed to go there right afterwards and needed to know which trains were running. I canceled the alerts but they keep coming.
I do not want to know what they thought when they got my message. My wife is not a little bit mad at me anyway. I will not leave the doghouse this decade.
This is a perfect illustration in watching carefully what you are doing. I would never have sent the picture. If I had been careful, I would have checked who I was sending it to. If I had been careful I would have felt a whole lot better about myself right now.
Even huge sins start with little decisions of carelessness. A man spends too much private time with a woman who is not his wife. The result may be adultery and divorce. A careless decision to go ahead with minimal risk may result in a space shuttle exploding. Neglecting to look both ways at a stop sign may result in hitting a pedestrian.
Many major problems begin with small mistakes. Many sins with great consequences begin by not carefully watching the very next acting you take.
So, my days for joking around with my wife are over for some time. I know I will watch what I send and who I am sending it to much more carefully.
But no bell can be unrung.
1 comment:
:o Oh, dear. snicker.
I do hope that we do not have a Fox News headline featuring a certain bar
e-chested pastor in our future. :o
Seriously, tho, your very good point aside, that's just how some things happen. I perfectly innocent action is misinterpreted or gets in the wrong hands and we have headlines.
I think our news media is in the "bigger, better, more" business.
As far as your situation goes, make sure you fess up to your congregation, just in case there's a slow news day in Texas. chuckle. osrry.
Deb
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