Some of the women in the Bible cannot be held in high esteem as "role models". One of these is Salome, noted dancer and niece of King Herod. Sure, she did a great job and turned the old man on and he offered to give her anything, even half of his kingdom, and she asked for the head of John the Baptist, who was in prison. Her mother put her up to it but the scheme worked and John the Baptist had his head cut off for a reward to the dancing niece. What a horrible sacrifice she demanded for this stalwart friend of Christ!
What does this story tell us? There are all kinds of lessons --mostly bad. One is don't always listen to your mother unless she is worth listening too! But the point to me is that people make choices --every minute of every day that have little to do with the facts at hand. And, often, those choices affect someone else in a grievous, deathly way.
I am going through a time in my life when I need to make a choice that will affect other people far more than it will me. Help me to look through all my choices and make the one that will help all of us the most. Help me to know when "Tough Love" is needed to help somone else --not to just get me out of a bad, personal situation of worry. Don't let me cut off someone's head just to have less personal worry about the situation!
Remind me of this picture of John the Baptist's head on a plate! There has to be an easier, less demanding way to cope with people who won't abide by the rules that are mine to set!
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