Table Salt: Sitting stance

My great aunt and uncle had long-time neighbors with whom they loved attending auctions. Usually, they weren’t looking for anything specific. They just went to see what prices things brought and kept an eye out for something fun and unique. Overall, auctions were social events for them, seeing people from the community out and spending time with their friends. Viewing a collection of treasures at an estate sale also piqued their interest. 

Upon visiting my aunt and uncle, they showed me their most recent purchase. A wooden ladder chair sat proudly in their kitchen. I asked my uncle what he planned to do with it, and he replied that he wasn’t sure, but he just liked it, and it went for next to nothing. With the chair being a steal, he finagled it into their car trunk, and they drove home with the newfound deal. 

A few weeks passed, and I stopped by my aunt and uncle’s house again. The chair, moved into the living room, was the hot seat upon my arrival. My aunt poured out her newest bit of gossip, which left me in disbelief. The neighbor lady, who had attended the auction with them, stated the price my uncle paid for the chair. When hearing the price, my uncle corrected her, saying he had paid a different price. Back and forth, arguing, the friends couldn’t agree on the price that was paid for the chair at the auction a few weeks prior. 

You and I both know the price was irrelevant. However, my aunt, uncle, and their neighbors couldn’t let it go. As my aunt was unfolding the story to me, I could hardly believe that grown adults put so much effort into disagreeing over something so insignificant. They were irate and sadly allowed the dispute to go unsettled, never speaking to one another again. 

Are some things worth debating? What price will you pay for a friendship? The Bible discourages taking part in foolish arguments. Regardless of the cost of the chair, agree to take a stance of peace. Years of friendship were buried with pride and never recovered. Humble yourself. Don’t let your chair determine where you sit.

Proverbs 20:3 says, “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on arguing.”

Contact Ashley at ashley@tippgazette.com

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Tippecanoe Gazette

Attn: Ashley Spring McCarroll

PO Box 84

Tipp City, Ohio 45371