The Do Over“It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning…”
Have you ever done or said something and as soon as it was out of your grasp you wished you could do it over or take it back? That’s a “do over.” My most recent “do over” experience started when I responded to an email from a friend.
Bunny had just finished writing her latest book and had sent the manuscript to her publisher. Since I had spent the last few weeks as a reader and contributor to this project, I was thrilled that she had finally reached this stage of completion. Within hours of sending the book off, she had received an email from someone giving harsh criticism of the project. In disbelief of the accusations contained in this email Bunny asked if I would read it and give my opinion. Within minutes I received Bunny’s email with the email in question as an attachment. I opened it, read it, hit the “reply” button, typed my response, hit the “send” button, and walked away from my computer.
Later in the evening I went back to check email and there in my “sent” box was a message I had sent out to a name I didn’t recognize. I explored further and realized that because I was actually in the original sender’s message I should have hit the “forward” button to send my response to Bunny. Instead I had hit the “reply” button. The result was I had sent my honest and straightforward remarks to the original disgruntled sender.
When the phone rang, I was standing in my office shocked and wondering what I had done. It was Bunny on the line asking if I’d read her email. My response was, “you’re going to kill me!” After which I explained the unfortunate error on my part. Thankfully she took the news well and gave me a gentle word of caution for future responses.
I woke up the next morning still thinking about what had happened the night before. My intent had not been to harm the original sender but to give my honest opinion to my friend. Yet, I had done just what I had intended not to do. As I wondered what the reaction on the sender’s part would be, I knew there was nothing I could do to rectify this situation. Anything I could think of doing would only make matters worse. So I began asking God, and myself, “What lesson could I learn from this situation?” The answer came quickly and clearly. First, always be sure of whose name is in the recipient line of my outgoing emails, especially when it’s a touchy situation. Second, and most importantly, remember, “…let the words of my mouth…be acceptable…” and that means in emails too.
As I was getting dressed for work I was still contemplating these events and turned on the radio to listen to my favorite Christian station. Most mornings the DJ’s discuss some funny thing from the latest news story and ask listeners to call in with their personal stories. This particular morning the topic was “do overs”. At the Iowa primary election, Presidential candidate Howard Dean had let out a very excited, yet un-Presidential, “RREEyeeoweeH!” The DJ’s were commenting that he probably wished he could have a “do over.” But alas, too late, it was history.
I called the radio station and told the DJ’s of my most recent “do over” experience from the night before. Although my story wasn't played live on the air, they did however come back after a commercial break and mention that “do overs” also apply to when we hit “reply” instead of ”forward” on email messages.
Unfortunately we do not get “do overs” to most of life’s events. What’s done is done, over, finished, history. Thankfully though God gives us “do overs” through His provision of forgiveness, mercy and compassion that are new every morning.
© 2007 - Karen R. Power. All rights reserved.
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