The Itching Ear: Perception

THE ITCHING EAR SYNDROME!

WHEN YOU CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING YOU WILL CHANGE WHAT YOU SEE…(Several parts)

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)

2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Perspective perception… Sermons come many places. Recently while I was laying in a chemo-radiation bed at the cancer center. I awaiting my lumbar puncture. My second son, the nurse and I were discussion various subjects. I was drinking a Coke Zero. My adult son said: I have never seen my dad drink a glass of water. I listened. I replied: Son, I drink water every day. When my wife returned, we asked her input. Do I drink water every day? We awaited her answer? Is he right? Am I right? Linda said: SURE, HE DRINKS WATER EVERYDAY. HE DRINKS A LOT WATER DAILY. Sure, I drink diet or no sugar drinks, gator-aide, V8 juice, etc. I drink water. My son has been married 25 years. He assumed an answer that was invalid?

VALID? INVALID? JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS?

I pastored in a small east Kentucky town. I was there a short while and tasted some success. One day I heard someone whisper that that the preacher was an alcoholic. Later I heard another speak, I was an alcoholic. This was so strange as I made the choice as a young that I would never take a drink of alcohol in my life. From where could this story be coming? I heard someone say I was an alcoholic, and we stepped aside and I asked them where they heard this? I was an alcoholic? They told me the source where they had heard it. I did state: I that I had never tasted alcohol of any form in my entire life. So I went to church to pray. I decided to drive to my friend’s house that was telling others I was a drunk. I pulled up to the house and was warmly greeted and I asked to speak the man. We sat on the porch and I ask: ARE YOU TELLING PEOPLE I AM A DRUNK/ALCOHOLIC? He answered: YES! I went on to explain to the man. I have never drank one beer, whiskey, moonshine or wine in my entire life. Where did you get your information?

He said: The other night when we came to church we brought you some tomatoes and cucumbers from our garden. We were late so we just put the tomatoes in your car. There were 8 empty beer cans behind the driver’s seat of your car. I asked him if I could be excused for a minute.

I jumped in my car and ran to another friend’s house. I went in and asked can I borrow your teenager for a few minutes. I never explained anything. We drove back to the house up the other hollow. The man was still sitting on the porch. We got out and was talking. The two were family members. I asked the teenager about the beer cans. The teenager explained: they got to church early and someone had been left eight empty beer cans on the porch of the church. They did not think it appropriate to throw the cans in the church. The pastor’s car was unlocked so they just opened the back door and threw the empty beer cans in the back floor board. The teen said, we told the pastor about the beer cans. They never meant any harm. Then the other family placed the vegetables in the back seat. The conclusion? Thus the logical conclusion was the pastor is an alcoholic and the rumor started from valid conclusion? To this day 50 years later I have never opened or taken a sip of alcohol. The teen was not bad.

GRACE IS A LEARNED BEHAVIORWE NEED TO LEARN A PERSON’S BEHAVIOR HAS MORE TO WITH THEIR OWN STRUGGLES THEN IT EVER DID WITH YOU.

HUMAN TENDENCY IS TO FOCUS ON THE TROUBLES OF TODAY --- LIFE IS FULL OF STRUGGLES AND OPINIONS, WE FOCUS ON TEMPORAL AND NOT ETERNAL.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

*PERCEPTION: to become aware, how you see the world around you, (get up 6 am, is that early? Is that late? ), personal circumstances, how you interpret information, perception the lens you see through, 5 senses gather data for selective, meaning, attention,

*ASSUME, ASSUMPTION: what you accept as truth with proof, awareness, whatever you assume: will be truth to you, we expect better--- but will not change until we see what we expect to happen, (finding things busy, you will expect busy), (a crying baby is hungry)by design of shift,