Duped

Duped... or not.  

A young man came to the door selling magazines as part of his "education" in preparation for public speaking. It was raining and cold so I let him in. He gave me a card of identification and told a pretty good story but I caught on when I saw the stick figure in the picture box, but I let him continue.  

He used his strategy of, "I need to write this out so do you mind if I sit down?"  "Sure, I said."  (Know that my three giant men were in the basement listening to everything.)  I really kept it together until he mentioned that his Dad was in the Navy and then proceeded to the, "He is a Navy Seal and has been gone for three months.  I'm sure worried about him with all that is happening." 

I saw it coming.   Then he did it.  Even I-the gullible one knew what was going to be next.  I couldn't believe how far he would go to dupe me.  And he did it.  Insinuating that his Dad had something to do with Osama. I worked at keeping the grin to myself.  He was working pretty hard. 

He kept talking about it and school and I sat down on the other chair and said, "I'm not going to buy anything."  That was it.  He was up and out of here in a moment......no longer worried about his education.

HA. Not this time. Not Duped Today.  But I do get duped a lot.  With help or all by myself.  Duped with faulty beliefs.  Duped by selfishness, misplaced priorities and a glorified sense of martyrdom.  

My son so nicely... reminded me of something that I had given away to someone- that he had wanted.  He said that he would not be surprised if I gave the panhandler something just because I felt bad.  

Ouch.  Very Painful truth.  

After picking myself up from the floor so to speak and some self-reflection I realized again how easy it is to be duped. My boys and my husband have paid the price for my "giving" of resources and time.  Sometimes I was being obedient but quite often I was duped and put someone else above my family.  

That is NOT o.k.

Don't get me wrong.  Giving is good.  But giving out of compulsion or guilt or even pity is a pretty good sign of being duped.   

Empathy, compassion and kindness is a choice.  Not the reaction of some visceral feeling or response to manipulation, guilt or even my pride.

I guess that is one of the many reasons that God tells us to be on the look out because our enemy, Satan, is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.  He is on the look out for an unwise and unsuspecting soul.

And sometimes, I open the door for him.