Benefit of the doubt

I was on a plane the other day and had just got settled into my seat. An elderly man and his wife came up and she was seated in the window seat next to my aisle seat. He was seated several rows up towards the front of the airplane. I had already put my carry-on luggage up; however I knew that he and his wife would want to sit together. I asked them as much, and with what I perceived as a mean look and without even a, “thanks for offering”, he gruffly nodded yes that he would. His demeanor seemed to me, as if he was not only unthankful for my gesture, but he was annoyed that I didn’t volunteer quicker. “So much for being gallant'”, I thought as I made my way to his seat.

I had not been able to move my luggage when I exchanged seats, and when we got to our destination, I had to fight my way through the crowded aisle, like a “salmon fighting upstream”, to get back to where my luggage was stowed. (This was no easy feat considering one woman in the aisle was the size of a Sumo Wrestler). I finally made it back to where my luggage was stowed and after I got it down, the old man who I had exchanged seats with “barked” instructions at me to pass him his luggage forward. I awkwardly got his luggage down and passed it forward. Again without so much as even a smile, thank you, or anything, he just turned around and he and his wife deplaned. I had been traveling extensively for quite some time, I was sick and felt bad and now this. By now I was pretty steamed, I was muttering and grumbling to myself, “What’s up with this jerk anyway?” And a few other choice words that I am ashamed of and are not suitable for print.

The elderly couple deplaned ahead of me and as I exited, to my surprise they were standing there waiting for me. They both looked at me with the kindest eyes and graciously and profusely thanked me for what I had done. They wanted to buy me a cup of coffee. Lowdown is how I felt. About an inch tall is how high I stood. I had assumed so much about this couple that was simply not true. Actually they were very nice people and my brief encounter with what I perceived as their bad manners had convinced me that they were a couple of rude jerks. Sometimes I form opinions of people without giving them the benefit of the doubt. I just assume the worst and that is wrong.

I talked with some young folks the other day that were pretty steamed at their parents. Apparently the parents had been critical, instead of supportive, when told of a large purchase they had made. I could not help but think about this incident. Were the parent’s critical remarks “intended” to kill all the joy of the moment? Were they trying to make their children feel like they were just idiots, incapable of making an intelligent decision? Were the parents jealous because they could never afford to make a purchase of a similar nature? Or were they simply just being parents who were worried about their little child, (who isn’t a little child anymore, except perhaps in their minds), making a large purchase without first asking for their advice? Were the comments intended to hurt or help? Maybe we’ll never know, but I would just give them the benefit of the doubt.

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1Peter 4:8
And above all things have fervent
love for one another, for “love will
cover a multitude of sins.”
Be hospitable to one another
without grumbling.