Just the other day, I prepared to take a shower. ‘Prepared’ is the focus here, because it’s winter in my part of the world and taking a bath in a cold room full of tiles, mirrors and glass is no easy feat- especially at night.
First, you need to prepare yourself mentally. Then you must have a very warm set of clothes as close as possible to the shower. Then you must test the water temperature to be sure it is to your liking.
I turned on the shower and went to prepare my warm bedclothes.
By the time all the items were prepared, which normally takes 3-5 minutes, the water would be at the right temperature.
When the temperature is right, the bathroom is filled with what my dear
husband calls ‘the glory’, a beloved steamy mist that rises when the shower is primed and ready for a bath.
There was so much steam in the bathroom that day, I did not bother to put my hand in the shower to test the water temperature as I normally do. I hopped into the shower with joy and expectation.
I almost hopped out just as quickly as I got in when I felt the cold water on my skin!
‘I’m already here,’ I thought to myself, so I might as well finish what I started. That cold shower in early winter got me meditating about the deceitfulness of misleading perspectives, false reputations and the meaning of the phrase ‘Not all that glitters is gold’.
I began to think of ‘AI filters’, ‘TikTok images’ and ‘soft life’ promoters on
Instagram.
How many people seem a certain way, but when you get closer or stay around them long enough, you realise that they are the total opposite?
Some people seem to have perfect or at least great lives, but when you gain access and look closer, you discover that they are going through layers of unspeakable pain.
What about people who the world blames, criticises or looks down on, just because these people have refused to share their side of the story, which might actually exonerate or vindicate them and make them heroes?
There is only one word to describe these scenarios, and it is also what I
experienced in that shower: Cold Smoke.
No, not steam from a freezer, or mist from a very cold room. It's cold smoke; steam from a supposed source of heat, but it carries no real heat of its own.
Just like the steam of my shower that day looked like the water would be hot, there are people and situations we think we can vouch for.
We think ‘one plus one’, and it should give us a ‘2’, but somehow it falls short.
There are scenarios we experienced before, and we judge certain behaviours and events in the light of the past.
This can bring regret because nothing is ever the same. All things must be tested and perceived not with the eyes of rumours or past experiences, but in the light of the current truth.
Not all men are ‘scum’; not all women are greedy. Not all pastors are ‘users’; not all young people are rude and reckless.
The good book says ‘test all spirits’, and that’s exactly what we must do, in all situations, no matter how familiar they may seem.
How many opportunities, friendships, and positive connections have we let pass us by just because they looked too familiar to a previous heartache?
In conclusion, refuse to say yes or no to opportunities based on past
experiences, good or bad.
Every situation is neutral; we must learn to discern independently and weigh the facts objectively.
Do you have a cold smoke experience?
Maybe it was not a cold shower, but a heartbreak, or a business deal gone wrong.
May we be wiser, less afraid and more discerning in the face of key decisions and opportunities in life’s journey.
Rooting for you always!
