A very large woman went into the ladies' clothing department and started looking at size 12 dresses. The saleslady politely told her that the big sizes were on the other side. Turns out, the lady was shopping for a dress for her teenage daughter!

Proverbs 18:13 reminds us that "he who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him." We have all jumped to conclusions and—more often than not—rued what followed. Take a moment and be sure you have enough information. Even then we cannot know all things perfectly—but the chances of being right are greatly enhanced. Stop to ask and then think.

Further Reading:
"The Importance of Right Friendships" from Making Life Work. Online at www.thisistheway.org/booklets/LW/rightfriendships.htm