It was one of those days in which I had one ball too many to juggle. Truth be known, juggling may not be my “gifting”.
The email I had been waiting for came at a time when my attention was concentrated elsewhere. I should have left the email unread in my inbox until I was able to read it, digest it, and respond to it correctly. And that truly was my intent when I read it. But ….
I read it and my immediate thought was to forward it my husband, who also needed to read it. Correct so far.
I typed out my thoughts on it, unfiltered and honest (I think I may have written, “Is she NUTS???”), which I would only ever express to him. Correct so far.
Hit send.
And that was when the overwhelming feeling of dread filled me. I had hit “reply” and not “forward”.
With no way to retrieve it nor make a phone call, I had to sit in my embarrassment until I could properly take care of it.
I know I am not the only one, nor the first one, to make this mistake. But this was a first for me. It was not that my response was wrong but I would have been more tactful in expressing my thoughts to this other person.
Upon arriving home, I walked in the door and picked up the phone to serve myself a nice sized portion of humble pie. Her graciousness and laughter made it go down a whole lot easier than expected. In fact, she agreed with me. But the lessons have not been lost on me and will not soon be forgotten:
- Pay attention. Or maybe even better – give my full and undivided attention to the task or person in front of me.
- Slow down. In my haste, the mistake was made. Even in those times when a response is needed readily, take a few moments to pause and think.
- Be quick. Correct the situation as soon as one is able. Don’t let it fester and grow larger than life.
But it was the response I received which I will remember. Her response was kind, gracious, and quickly made me comfortable in her presence once again.
May our words be gracious and exactly the ones which need to heard today.
“Kind words are like honey –
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”
(Proverbs 16:24, NLT)
Today I am joining … Testimony Tuesday and Unite and True Story .
Oh, I’ve been there, Joanne! I had such an awful sinking feeling just reading this post. ha. I’m so glad you got a great response afterward. It doesn’t always turn out that good, but it’s nice to know that it can! Grace, all grace.
So true, Lisa, so true!
This is a reminder that hits home. I just had a situation last night that if I had acted as quickly as my mind was telling me to, would have ended very badly. God calls us not only to speak in kindness but to press pause before reacting. I am glad the email response ended positively when all was said and done. Thank you for these words.
P.S. I listened to your podcast with Holly a few weeks ago. It was such a treat to get to know you better. 🙂
Mary, thank you for your kind words regarding the podcast. It was a treat for me to converse with Holly, who made me feel so comfortable.
Regarding the email, it was a lesson which I hope I never forget 🙂
Blessings!
Ah, yes! So easy to react without really thinking it through. Mainly because we’re (I’m) too busy.
Thank the Lord, she was kind and gracious about it. I hope I can respond in the same way because those kinds of things happen to us all.
Love the scripture you chose to illustrate your point. May all our words be “honeyed.”
Jerralea, I think above all that was the lesson I learned. I want to be gracious to others when in that situation. It truly can happen to us all.
Joanne – I have so been there, but not just inemails, in text messages too :/ ugh technology and my quick to react temper. I am so glad that you were able to resolve it quickly and it was good for a chuckle or two. I really liked your 3 points for us to heed before just reacting- thank you so much – I found you at Holly’s #TestimonyTuesday today!
It is so easy to make mistakes with technology because it is so quick & instant. I hope the lesson is one I remember!
It is a great friend who can laugh at herself and also understand you. Thank you for sharing this delightful story with us here at Tell me a Story.