Let it go!

It’s a real bummer when things go wrong and some other dude does the dirty on you.

Some people say I’m a sucker because I trust people too much. Most of the time they’re right and when things go wrong, it’s a big call to let it go. Sometimes we just have to.

A while ago the key technician for Go Kiwi Internet screwed something up big-time . . .
and something like four hundred websites “fell-off” Google. Apparently, according to his evidence in court, he went off an article on the Internet and stuck a 404 Error into the header of the primary script that served all web pages of every website.

For the non-technical, this is a really R-E-A-L-L-Y bad do-not-ever-do-this-kind-of-thing practice. It’s the equivalent of dumping all fuel while in flight in the middle of the trip from AKL to LAX. You simply just don’t do it! It’s the Internet equivalent of unplugging the cable to the TV News camera - everybody is still doing their thing in front of the camera but there is no news to all the viewers.

We lost a lot of money from that situation - thousands to repair the damage, lost clients and much more. I got pretty steamed up about it actually - we found out two weeks later what had happened when customers said they couldn’t be found in the Search Engines. That wasn’t the worst of it though - sitting in the small claims court and watching one of the owners of the company lie about it to try and pass off blame (because they had no liability insurance) really sucks.

When people get nasty or dishonest in business, sometimes its best to walk away from the deal. Leopards don’t usually change their spots and if they’ve done something sneaky or dishonest once, there’s a fair chance that they’ll do it again.

A few years back we had taken possession of a lovely 10 acre property in Raurimu, and had a signed agreement with the vendors, a Maori couple from Turangi. We’d paid the deposit and the deal was that once agreement had been reached with a government department for the installation of some drainage, this value would be deducted from the purchase price. Finally after many months of waiting for these hopeless guys to sort it out, I did it myself. The documents were then redone with the new agreed figure, but their lawyers slipped in three extra clauses that disadvantaged us. They wouldn’t honour the original agreement and forced the issue, so we just got our deposit back from the land agent, packed up our gear, and left the place after the best part of a whole season in possession!

We didn’t end up with the property we wanted, but we just let it go. It’s not worth doing business with crooks, because they’ll only do the same again.

Walking away doesn’t come naturally to most of us. I’ve got a strong sense of justice and when I get “done” I really want to see the other guy get sorted out - fast. I’ve learnt though that what comes around, goes around and its better to keep your cool and let it go.

There’s another good reason to let it go - God tells us to, or else. Get a load of this one:

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:14,15

That “but” in the middle really scares me a little, so I do it willingly out of pure self-interest.

There’s another saying that says we should “forgive and forget”, but this scripture doesn’t tell us to forgive and forget it. It’s still possible and even wise to remember things, but only after we’ve forgiven.

The Lord seems to have a pretty good handle on the way things work and while we usually try to do it our own way, I’ve worked out that in the long run its generally best to do it His way. Not easy, but pretty simple actually.

The VICTUS IN AMBITUS way is to let it go.