What happened…
Restaurant Customer: (scrolling on her phone frustratedly says aloud)… “Psalm 27…? Why do people do that…? Yet another scripture Facebook status!”
Waiter: (exuberantly replying after overhearing only the concluding sentence)… Oh I love that one!
RC: (taken off-guard)… What, Psalm 27?
W: Yes, it’s a song in my heart!
RC: (mildly shocked at the quickly formed false-assumption of a shared common interest)… You wrote a song about a scripture?
W: (proudly)… Well, I have it memorized in my heart and then the Lord gave me a melody to go along with it.
RC: I see.
W: Where do you go to church?
RC: (with direct eye contact)… I don’t.
W: (surprised, now aware of his overreach, but yet unaware of his outward nonverbal display of sympathetic condescension)… Oh… looking around then?
RC: (with direct eye contact and firm resolve)… Nope. Used to go, but don’t anymore.
W: (embarassed pause searching for an appropriate response)… Oh, I’m sorry if I offended you.
RC: (smiling)… No, not at all.
W: So, are you ready to order…?
What should have happened…
Restaurant Customer: (scrolling on her phone frustratedly says aloud)… “Psalm 27…? Why do people do that…? Yet another scripture Facebook status!”
Waiter: (cautiously)… Are you a fan of the Psalms?
RC: Nope. Not my area of interest.
W: I see. Are you ready to order?
Have the gumption to supervise your assumptions. This proactive activity will prevent the unnecessary foot-on-mouth disease from rearing its ugly head at inopportune times. It also makes you a touch less of tool in social settings.
Stay tuned-in…