What can a single man do when a date goes south?
There’s always the option of litigation.
That’s what happened when Brandon and Crystal, a budding couple from from Austin, went to the movies for their first date.
The first sign of trouble came with Crystal texting others the whole time they were together, according to Brandon. When he complained to her about it, she got up and left, leaving him stranded, with no ride home.
Brandon’s response was to file a $17.31 claim against Crystal — the cost of the movie ticket — citing her behavior as “a threat to civilized society.”
Rather than go to court, Crystal finally agreed to reimburse Brandon. The payoff took place at the cinema where it all began, captured by an Inside Edition film crew.
Crystal handed over seventeen dollars and change.
Brandon counted the money before it he pocketed it.
What a world we live in, when bad dates turn into court dates and attract national media attention.
Before we’re tempted to choose sides, I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that maybe this couple aren’t perfectly suited for each other.
Here’s the real point of this example, one that Brandon might consider: There’s something to be said for being able to let go of an offense — or, in this case, perhaps, a perceived offense — and moving on.
No doubt, there are some conflicts that cannot be ignored, that must be brought to resolution. Matthew 18 gives us guidelines for this.
However, many of the conflicts we engage in, and many of the so-called wrongs we’re subjected to, can be dealt with by simply letting it go.
When Paul addressed the matter of conflict between individual believers, he said…
Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? (1 Corinthians 6:7 NLT)
Wisdom helps us discern the difference between those situations calling for the complete Matthew 18 treatment and those situations falling into the 1 Corinthians 6 category.
When in doubt, before one calls an attorney, one should try letting it go.
© 2019/2025. This article originally appeared at Preaching Library
