Why Did You Tell That Lie?

Hello, all. Had many different ways that I wanted to go this morning, but decided to go with a problem that we, as God's children have to deal with quite often. That is the problem of lying. Whoa! I bit off a big one this time, didn't I? Yes, I did and I am going to try to make it palatable to you as we go through it some.  What better way to do that than to introduce you to a hero that you can either identify with or that you come to like, hmm-m-m? Alright let's jump right, in shall we?

Have you ever met a person who lies for the sake of lying? Lies to beat the band; lies, it seems, just to hear themselves talk. Whoo! I am coming on strong this morning ; aren't I? Today we are going to meet Pete Handlebiz. How about that last name hum-m-m? Tee hee, I couldn't resist it. Anyway, Pete is the type of person, who shoots straight as an arrow and does not tolerate much foolishness.

“Enough,” yelled Pete. Everybody got quiet. The boys got quiet and his sister stopped flipping channels on the TV. His brothers decided that neither one of them wanted the toy tank they had built together and had been fighting over. It lay in the floor forgotten. Nobody much moved when Pete used that voice. They all knew that he would start separating bodies and hitting next. Pete said, “Julie, go set the table for dinner. Bud (short for William), go change the cat litter box, and I’d better not smell it when I come in there. And don’t be slinging litter everywhere. If you spill some, get it up. Joe, unwind the dog chain and give him fresh water. And when you come back in here, bring a book to read, all of you, since it is summertime and you don’t have any homework. They all scooted to do as Pete bid except Julie. She just stood there. Pete was forced to look up from the help wanted ads that he had been scanning. He ran his hand through his hair and asked, “What now, Julie.” Julie sidled across the worn beige carpet and said, “When I come back from setting the table, instead of reading, can I bring my crocheting kit that Mrs. Branson gave me?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Pete said.

Pete remembered back to the time in his life when he did not have to ride herd on his siblings. But that was before his Daddy died. He, no longer, was that talkative eight-year-old that everyone used to jostle each other to sit next to. He had become a quiet and serious minded sixteen-year-old. His outlook on life had changed when he had had to take on the task of helping his mom raise his siblings. Before his Daddy died, Pete would often hear his mother tell his younger brothers and sometimes his sister, “Just wait ‘til your daddy comes home. He’ll see to you!” He used to wonder why she didn’t just spank them and be done with it because they were always good for almost two weeks after his daddy had spanked them. But she never did; she always waited for his daddy.

And since Daddy was gone, it had become Pete’s job.

(Continued on tomorrow if the Lord wills)

Doing What I Can, While I Can,

Alma Jones

Aside1 - "Peace on the outside come from knowing God on the inside."

Aside 2 - Use your talents to glorify Him.

Aside 3 - Live your life like you know that God is able. That means putting on a brave face and having well-worn knees. It means that in trying times, you can act a way that surprises the rest of the world. And when you do, you will be amazing people by your faith and trust in the Lord. And you know what else you will be doing without even realizing it? You will be doing what I always liken the Christian life to:

Chopping and weeding your row,

As fruit for God, you try to grow.