My sister and I have turned over a new leaf. We don’t spend our time driving to coffee shops anymore.
Now we walk to the coffee shops!
Black cats, ladders and brollies
In anticipation of wet days, I went into a chemist to buy two clear, domed shaped umbrellas. I made my selection and asked the young assistant if she could check the shape. She kindly assisted but caught me by surprise when she announced that she was just stepping outside the shop to open it! I then realized that this lovely young lady held a superstitious belief about opening umbrellas inside. I was tempted to change my mind and open a few more umbrellas inside the shop, but I resisted. I became curious about when and from whom did she adopt this misbelief?
Too old to run
On the eve of his fourth birthday, my grandson was found hiding under his bed crying (he’s so like his grandfather). He didn’t want to turn four. After comforting and talking with him, my daughter was able to correct a misbelief. A week earlier my grandson had been showing me how fast he could run. I praised him and made a comment that as we grow older our running slows down and that’s why grandma couldn’t keep up with him. In his developing mind he interpreted that as meaning on his fourth birthday he was going to be older and he wouldn’t be able to run as fast as he could when he was three. And he wanted to run fast.
We grow up with many beliefs and misbeliefs.
Strange and unfounded beliefs
In my teenage years I believed that Catholics could not be Christian. Some people value baby boys so the family name will continue. (Don’t quite get that one. Someone has to have baby girls for these darlings to marry and procreate in order for the family name to survive!) Some people think educating girls is a waste of resources. Some people believe bad things happen in a cluster of three. Some people believe women shouldn’t be in positions of leadership.
Our beliefs and our misbeliefs cause our behaviour.
Whose beliefs drive your behaviour?
It would do us good to examine our actions and reactions to see if we are reflecting our Father in heaven. Are we judging others or are we showering others with the same exuberant measure of grace, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, compassion and love as was shown us while we were still in sin.
Are our beliefs left over from our childhood or are they prayerfully studied? Have open healthy debates about your interpretations of some beliefs, keeping in mind we could be like my grandson, hiding under the bed.