Over the years I have discovered various types of minds. The “open mind” that grasps everything but the truth. The “analytical mind” that organizes everything until sterility. The “closed mind” that can bounce ideas off and never stick.
For every man, there is the “woman’s mind.” Every husband knows that if he wants to change his wife’s opinion, all he has to do is agree with her. Finally, the “political mind”, which for all practical purposes is an oxymoron. Politicians obviously don’t have a mind of their own. They change their minds so often that you hardly know who they are.
I find that most people’s minds are like beds, all arranged and well kept. Many of these people have a sound mind, that is, fast asleep.
The most valuable mind is the suspicious mind. It is in this state of mind that the real image has developed for me. An incident from several years ago illustrated this for me.
We get one of those calls that all Americans get at least once a month. An invitation to come to Daytona Beach and spend two nights in a motel on the beach. The sponsor even offered to include breakfast, which we immediately scrapped (or was it “upstairs?”).
Everything sounded wonderful. My wife and I had never stayed on the beach and we thought it would be an excellent opportunity. We enthusiastically said “yes” excited about the prospect.
“Oh by the way,” the young woman said over the phone, “you will be asked to listen to a 90-minute presentation.”
It was then that my suspicious mind kicked in. To be more honest, the kick came from my wife, who had a suspicious mind.
“Is there something we have to buy?” my wife made me ask the lovely woman on the phone.
“Absolutely nothing,” he said with such joy that I believed him. My wife, “Miss Suspicion”, didn’t buy it for a second.
Finally, I convinced her to go and arranged with the woman over the phone the two nights on the beach.
Looking back at this incident, I realize that a suspicious mind is helpful.
I must confess (which is difficult for me) that my wife’s suspicious mind has saved us from some potentially disastrous situations. (But you didn’t hear it from me).
When we arrived at the Daytona Beach office, we were greeted very kindly. He had a smile that said, “Look, I told you this was going to be great.”
The friendly receptionist gave us our room key and easy-to-follow directions to our beach motel and, best of all, coupons for dinner for two at a fine dining restaurant.
So far, everything promised to be a magnificent adventure.
Right when I picked up the key, the lady reminded us of the 90 minute presentation. We had to sign up at a time that was “convenient for everyone.”
All I could see was that sociable smile and the beach. When the enamel thickened over my eyes, I signed up. Then we left.
While smiling, my wife muttered something like, “This is a mistake. I know there is a catch somewhere. Nothing is free.”
Being the sophisticated husband that I am and with a large and cultivated vocabulary at my disposal, I said nothing.
There is a time to speak, but every husband knows that it is generally not when he is in the presence of his wife.
We had fun. The beach was wonderful and that night we had a wonderful dinner. Everything was going pretty well and we fell asleep listening to the waves rhythmically massaging the beach outside our window.
Then it was time for the 90 minute presentation. It was quite educational. I learned that my wife was right all the time.
The “trap” he was concerned about was called “timeshare.”
Timeshare is an interesting concept. First, you need to buy a week (or two if you want). At that point, I was ready to register. My pen was dripping ink ready to sign anything, anywhere.
Then my wife started asking questions. It’s a good thing he did.
That’s when we learned something else about timeshares. After one purchases a week, the cost has just started. Of course, we were told, we must pay property taxes on “our property.” Then there are the monthly maintenance fees and insurance premiums. We learned that the word “share” in timeshare means that we share all of our money with them.
When he finished his presentation, there were more fees on our timeshare than fleas on a West Virginia hound dog.
However, that was not the worst. When our week rolled around, we were expected to “rent” our own room to stay in it. When the woman finished her 90-minute presentation (which actually took three hours), the timeshare made as much sense to me as renting underwear.
There are times when a suspicious mind is helpful, but not always. Sometimes I appreciate trusting someone without any fear. But who?
The antidote to a suspicious mind is found in the Bible. The Old Testament prophet understood this when he wrote: “In perfect peace you will keep him whose mind abides in you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26: 3).
There are many things to be suspicious of, but when I come to Jesus Christ, I can relax. It gives me peace of mind because it is easy to trust Him.