Her presumption and generalization of me was…

A friend introduced me to a woman at church. She greeted me cordially.

My friend extended the greetings to letting her know my maiden name and those who she might recognize in my family with the same last name. The same woman’s countenance changed in the twinkle of my eyes. She gave no eye contact, became evasive, and turned the side of her body away from me, as if I was a wall.

I thought, hmm! “What was that all about? I’ve never seen or met her.” I went in the church service not thinking about it until driving home.

I wondered if her presumption and generalization of me may have been based on a negative experience she had with a family member(s),” as I have family members throughout the city that are known to deal shady hands.

Don’t know if my assumption was true, but it was a thought.

There is a saying that one bad apple spoils all those within the same bunch. The longer that bad apple remains in the bunch its residue spreads and contaminates the good apples.

My thoughts immediately shifted to “I know who I am and whose I am.” God does not generalize us based on a bad apple or our family dynamics, but our individual and personal relationship with Him.

“For I too once was foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various sinful desires and pleasures, spending and wasting my life in malice and envy, hatefulness.

But when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior came into my life He saved me not because of any works of righteousness that I had done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit. I no longer am in bondage to heresy which causes dissension,” (Titus 3:3-5). My soul rejoiced.

(Added some words to personalize these verses).

How often have you allowed presumption and/or generalization to dictate your actions toward another believer?

Hmm!

~SAR~