The Trouble with Being Right

Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him:
and if he repent, forgive him. Luke 17:3

Believe it or not, it's often harder to gracefully receive an apology than it is to issue one.
As Christians, we know we are to forgive "seventy time seven" (Matthew 18:22), but some
of us can sincerely forgive and still project an air of superiority unbecoming to a child of
the king.
If you're waiting for someone to realize they owe you an apology, use your coffee break
to think of a response that reflects genuine forgiveness and allows the transgressor to feel
he or she has retained your respect.

Consider this humorous little story:
A passenger on a dining car looked over the luncheon menu. The list included both
a chicken salad sandwich and a chicken sandwich. He decided on the chicken salad
sandwich but absentmindedly wrote chicken sandwich on the order slip. When the
waiter brought the chicken sandwich, the customer angrily protested.
Most waiters would have immediately picked up the order slip and shown the customer
the mistake was his. This waiter didn't. Instead, expressing regret at the error, he picked
up the chicken sandwich, returned to the kitchen, and a moment later placed a chicken
salad sandwich in front of the customer.
While eating the sandwich, the customer picked up the order slip and saw that the
mistake was his. When it came time to pay for the check, the man apologized to the
waiter and offered to pay for both sandwiches. This waiter's response was , "No, sir.
That's perfectly all right. I'm just happy you've forgiven me for being right."
By taking the blame initially and allowing the passenger to discover his own
mistake, the waiter accomplished several things: he allowed the passenger to retain
his dignity, reminded him to be more cautious before blaming others, and created
a better atmosphere for everyone in the dining car. Next time people blame
you for their mistake, don't get defensive, but instead find a creative way to make
things right.
It is not who is right, but what is right, that is of importance.