Mistaken Identity

Lately events unfolding lead us to a place where we begin to have a new perspective and perception of life.

So on this faithful day, I had to hurriedly prepare for an important meeting. In my wardrobe, there are two purple canisters, both tall and fat spray canisters.

One is the popular insecticide, my roommate bought recently known for its fine after-scent as the concentration fades off. The other is a spray starch that keeps my shirts stiff on my body even after a busy day.

In my impatient and hurried state, I reflexively opened up the insecticide and lavishly sprayed it on my shirt. I wanted a “strong” fabric shine as always. I landed the iron on the moist cloth immediately. It was when I began to choke that I knew what I was doing! What could have been worse?

My iron could have sparked and caught fire from the flammable aerosol, but somehow, it didn’t. I was just itching my throat, coughing, wringing my neck from all that inflammation happening within the rings of my trachea…and then I looked at the body of the can and read with forced patience! Then it occurred to me.

Most people look alike in your life. They’re usually fine-scented, lovely folks, singing your praises, cheering you on, causing no trouble within your circle until you begin to use them for what you thought them to be, rather, who they truly are to you.

This error in judgement happens when we impatiently assume that because someone is close to us, it means they can fit into every purpose we desire. Thereafter, their actions jolt us back to read the label they carry. Alas, they are not all-weather, all-season, all- purpose people!

Truth is, no one is. It is not every friend you should chat up about your financial needs. It isn’t every friend that should know your marital struggles. Some are best for ministry; others for mentorship. Some for business; others for banter.

When you ignore why people are in your life and you attempt to use them to fulfill every role you need them to; you’ll learn, like I did that one doesn’t use insecticides as a spray starch. Or more laughably, one doesn’t use a spray starch to chase insects away.

Read the labels on your friends. They are probably choking you and causing you discomfort because you are using them to fulfill purposes for which they don’t natively bless you in.

“Before the friendship goes up in flames; cough, itch, but have a look again. It might not be that a friend is bad. It just might be that you are expecting something different from a friendship designed to give you a good soothing in other functional ways.”

Thanks for reading guys. Don’t forget to drop a comment in the comment section below, and share a personal experience if you must.