Over the weekend, I was working on the settings for the security cameras in my office using the remote interface from my home. While I was adjusting one camera, I noticed a light coming from one of the other rooms and thought maybe a lamp or office light had been left turned on. As I switched between the cameras, I could easily see that there was no light on in any of the rooms, yet there was a shadow cast by one of the walls. So where did this shadow come from?
It took me a minute switching back and forth until I realized it was the built-in, infrared light from one of the other cameras (which allows it to see in the dark) casting the light––and hence the shadow. I was amazed. With the naked eye, the room was totally dark. You couldn’t see anything in the room whatsoever. But the camera’s infrared light lit the whole room up and even cast shadows!
Wow…shadows in complete darkness…who would have figured?
This little revelation got me to thinking about what else was easily seen that we don’t realize. What do others see about us that we don’t know or realize they see? What trail of evidence are we leaving behind? It’s always easy to be “good” and act “right” when we know we’re supposed to, or when we know we are being watched. But what about those times we are either alone or not aware we’re being watched? Everyone goes through hard times, and sometimes we even come under full blown attack by others. We may not have a choice in the fact that we are under attack, but we certainly have a choice in how we respond to it.
In fact…that may be the ONLY thing over which we have any control. People are often watching us to see how we react to all kinds of circumstances; not from a judgmental eye necessarily, but maybe with a curious “where do they get their strength from” perspective. We may feel like we’re alone in our struggles, and it may be true that we don’t have people rushing to help us. But at the same time, we could be offering others a witness on how to respond to situations.
There is a difference between the terms “avenge” and “revenge”. Avenging is seeking justice usually for a third party, whereas revenge is motivated by a need for personal retaliation not based on whether or not justice is even deserved or warranted. Revenge satisfies our carnal “Screw them who screw you” tendency. Our response to situations is completely OUR choice. While I was bounty hunting, I often found I was dealing with a person who may have lived a near perfect life of humility and graciousness up to that point, but they made ONE wrong response to something and now they are on the wanted list…or at least on my list.
This also reminds me of a vow I made to myself after we put our Jack Russell dog Jake down. He had viciously attacked our neighbor’s dogs twice, and we later found out that he had previously killed a cat while in a rescue shelter. I didn’t see a way out of the situation and we had him put down. The next day, I was completely distraught. Not that we might have made a wrong decision, but that we had made decision in a heightened emotional state and not really considered all the alternatives. So just the fact we had questions about our decision was enough to make the decision the “wrong one”. Not my proudest moment. So, my new vow quickly became: Life Lesson #18 “Never make lasting decisions while in an heightened emotional state.” Wait. Count to 10. Wait to the next morning. Pray about it – whatever you need to do, but cool off and make sure you are making the right decision not based on an emotions alone. Those are usually wrong. By taking this extra step, you can be more comfortable knowing you’re making wise decisions based on facts, knowledge and a level-head––not emotional responses.
The songwriter/Artist Sting writes in the song Be Still My Beating Heart:
“Sink like a stone that’s been thrown in the ocean My logic has drowned in a sea of emotion.”
We may think our circumstances or our lives don’t have any effect on the lives of others, but they just might! Take each step and decision with caution and wisdom. You may not see the impact, but you’ve made one nevertheless!