Absolutely Probably

I shared with you guys the other day in the post called “More” that my husband is Hilarious with an “H”, and it’s really true. He has me cracking up all the time. He is constantly saying things that give me great ideas about new things I can write to you about. This man and the things that just naturally come out of his mouth supplies me with a vast resource of cool things to write about and share with others.

So yesterday, my youngest daughter asked him if she could do X this weekend ~ his witty and without-even-thinking-about-it reply?

“Absolutely! Probably.”

I love that. We do it all the time, don’t we? And most of the time, we are actually really well-intended about it. But as I pondered the whole meaning of “absolutely probably”, it made me realize that in effect, that really kind of is a mantra of our current day culture.

As I look around myself, I see that all too often, “absolutely probably” is indicative of the level of committment that exists in our world today. People convey that outlook or approach to things in so many ways. It seems like no one wants to commit, be inconvenienced, or a lot of the time, maybe they are just not sure if something better to do might come up and they wish to reserve the right to change their mind – hence, the “probably”. It’s a convenient little disclaimer, but it’s a sad one too.

How valuable does that make you feel in the hearts and minds of others with whom you interact when this is the message that you receive? Do you walk away feeling uplifted? Do you take away a feeling of security and confidence in that other person and the fact that they “absolutely probably” may actually show up? Does this happen to you not only in the workplace, when you are out running errands, at church, at get togethers with friends, but even in your own family sometimes?

And, I know it stinks, but we have to ask ourselves…. do we do this to others sometimes?

I do. Absolutely. And I may even do it again without meaning to –Probably. And that’s pretty sorry.

But at least we can be more aware of it, right? At least we can really try our very best not to be that way and to change it if we have been. That’s great news!

Of course, it comes down to what one values, doesn’t it? Recognizing it is one thing, but actually making the decision to focus upon changing it, that’s another. But taking action is very important – how does awareness help us if we never do anything with it?

You know, it used to be that our word meant something to us, we mere mortals roaming the earth – and I realize that for some of us, it still does. But don’t you find that as you interact with others, there really seems to be no desire to display that? What happened to the value of our word? What ever happened to wanting to be someone people could count upon, who doesn’t come across as wishy-washy, undependable, non-caring, all that stuff? I don’t want to harp on the ugliness of our world just to complain, or make others feel badly – that is not my intent. But I think we can fall into displaying this to others when we aren’t thinking about it – it’s easy to do. It’s far easier than say, to actually make it a point to commit – to stand behind what we say – better yet, to actually offer it up in the first place and  THEN stand behind it.

And guess what? To do so with a smile is important too.

And for those of us who are Christians, it’s even more important that we stand behind our word. Why is that? Because we are ambassadors of Christ. We represent HIM. And HE is not wishy-washy at all.

For me, it’s time to get busy. For me, it’s time to be even more aware and be even more committed not to fall into the trap of “absolutely probably.” And I refuse to let the fear of standing behind my promises cause me to zip my mouth shut, because that’s not okay with me either.

And most of the time, when it comes to acts of service towards others, helping someone out, sacrificing our own needs to make something happen for another person, that word needs to be a resounding and joyful “YES”.

Yes and absolutely!

Is our word to others something they can count upon? Do we find ourselves saying yes to them and yes to being a part of helping to meet their needs? Aren’t you happy that Jesus didn’t say “absolutely”, only to change His mind when He got to thinking about it later and then turn it into “probably”? Isn’t it great to know that He says what He means and He means what He says?

I want to be that way all of the time. I know I will fail here and there, but again, just like everything else, I need to rely upon my Savior’s power and not my own. I need to seek Him to help me be aware of my word, and how I communicate it to others and then stand behind it. And mostly, I need to remember that my word is a representation of Him. I don’t want to screw that up – not even a little.

The cute interaction with my husband and my daughter was not one of those things – it was an innocent little exchange in which my husband was making coffee while answering her (love that multi-tasking!) and thinking out loud. He, of course, followed it up by reassuring her that the answer was “Yes”, and she definitely knows he will stand behind his word.

I thank my husband and I thank God for helping to use that situation to perk up my ears and heighten my awareness of the importance of this topic. And I can also rely upon the fact that the Holy Spirit within me knows, and will whisper in my ear and remind me of when I need to stand strong and commit. Isn’t that wonderful?

Yes. It absolutely is.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal
through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

Attributions for Media and Photos in Today’s Post:

• Graphics in this post used with permission from Microsoft Office.com
• All Christian Graphics in this Post Courtesy of Uponthisrock.com ~ Check them out!

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