Scanning

I recently read a post on By The Light of Grace that I found very true at the time. It was about scanning. I don't know if that is the technical term, or one her husband invented, but it rang true with me. I sat and talked with my wife about how I recognize it and have done it myself. It was a great realization, something that I decided I would watch for.

Well, I caught myself scanning yesterday. The weird part is the lies that go through my head. Now, at first I was looking just to see what was there, but that quickly changed to scanning. Here are some of the thoughts I had, and at least somewhat chronologically.

Hmmm. This [newly discovered website] looks like I could spend a lot of time here. Maybe I should leave... No, I'll just be careful. I don't have to look for anything explicit.

I wonder if there is anything explicit. Wait! I'm not looking for that.

If I see something, I just won't click on it, because I am just here looking for funny things.

Okay. It's time to go. Wait, what was that. That looks funny...

I didn't find anything explicit. Truthfully, I was not far enough along to have clicked on anything blatantly, but I didn't find anything either. Still, had I sat there for another hour, my motives and my criteria, my standards, would have changed. I would have been slowly, but inexorably, pulled into the slime.

I guess it goes to remind me that I am not above Satan's sneaky, underhanded, deceptive lies. They can still get to me. I still have to be vigilant. Always.