A Norvell Note
October 17, 2022 – Vol. 26 No. 33
You May Never Know
I am once again reminded of how important it is to understand that what we see on the surface may not be the complete picture of what is going on in a person’s life. You can assume that what you see is all there is. But you may never know.
A child’s grades drop, and her behavior takes a sudden and dramatic change. You wonder about the cause. You may never know what is going on in her home that might have caused the changes.
One of your best employees starts showing up late, missing meetings, and becomes distant and apathetic. You may never know what he is facing when he goes home or what he tries but can’t leave behind when comes in from work.
Your neighbors seemed like the perfect family, but something changed. They seldom spoke and stayed to themselves. You may never know the struggles they’ve been having or the tension that exists on the other side of their front door.
Every week he comes in a little late and takes a seat on the back pew, then he leaves a little early. You wonder why he does that. You may never know.
We encounter people every day who may be suffering from an illness, going through a breakup or divorce, grieving the loss of a loved one, or living in a house filled with anger, violence, abuse, and sadness. Or maybe they go home to an empty house every night. And you may never know why they act the way they do in public.
You may never know, that is unless you ask.
If you ask, they may tell you to mind your own business. Or they may thank you for noticing and ask for your help. They may share the reason for sadness, being standoffish, or why their heart is breaking. They may. But you may never know unless you ask.
Is there someone you are concerned about, but not sure what’s going on? They may act like they want to be left alone. Or they may be praying that God would send someone to help. You may never know unless you ask. So, maybe you should ask.
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