Posts Tagged: making a bad situation worse

“Of Short-Cuts and Fire Hazards”

On August 27, 2024 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

“Oh, well,” I said to myself. “It’s just smoldering. I think I can move quickly enough if I douse a little gas on this pile of wood.” A little voice in the back of my brain said, “This is not wise!” But I have had lots of practice ignoring that little voice of caution and common sense. So, I doused away, the fire flamed up, and briefly caught the gas can itself on fire. The only smart thing that I had done was to have the water hose handy. I quickly sprayed water at the gas can, and the flame was extinguished.

“Well,” I said to myself, “That was interesting!”

But what was really interesting was how stupid I can be and how adept I am at ignoring common proverbs (“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire”), common sense, and the warning voice in my own mind. As dry as it’s been here of late, I could have started a fire that would have burned down the neighborhood. I could also have roasted myself.

I don’t just do this sort of thing with literal fire. I am prone to do it in other ways as well. A voice in my head may say, “No, you shouldn’t say that to your wife. You’re pouring gasoline on the fire.” Or “No, you shouldn’t slam on your brakes because this person is tailgating you.” Sometimes, I listen to the voice. Sometimes, I tell it to just shut up.

If there is something smoldering, or if I am smoldering, it is best not to pour gas on the situation. Pouring some grace and self-control might be a better way to go.

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