Gotta 'Fess Up

Don't you just love it/hate it when God, the Universe, and your conscience conspire to move you to do the right thing?

After writing to you about how agile and determined our minds are when we want to rationalize our less than upright behavior, I had an incident where I did just that. It has niggled at me for a couple of days , despite my rationalizing that it was not such a big deal. As I was coming to the realization that I would not be at peace until I made it right, I came across this:

"Adam Clarke was an assistant in a dry goods store, selling silks and satins to a cultured clientele. One day, his employer suggested to him that he try stretching the silk as he measured it out. This would increase his profits, and also increase his value to the company. Young Clarke straightened up from his work, faced his boss courageously, and said, "Sir, your silk may stretch, but my conscience will not."

Unfortunately, some of us are not so honest (ouch!) The book The Day America Told the Truth reported the following: 91% of those surveyed admitted to lying about something on a regular basis; 50% procrastinated, in effect doing nothing, one full day out of every five; and 74% steal from those who will not miss it. Examples of such stealing include taking office supplies from work, long lunches, extravagant meals, accepting gifts from customers, ignoring copyright laws (how about burning CD's and DVD's?), claiming improper deductions, etc. But the person of integrity avoids all such temptations. "
(from A Dad's Blessing by Gary Smalley and John Trent

The next afternoon I got this from my (unknowing) daughter in the text of an e-mail about doing the right thing:

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

I don't know who wrote that, but it resonates completely in my heart. Yes, I have set things to rights as best I could. I received love and understanding in return. Whew! That was a lot of internal drama I could have avoided.

Where in your life have you been less than honest?
What is your conscience telling you to do about it?
Will you follow through?

GET OFF YOUR BUT

I read a quote once that said something like, (I’m paraphrasing) “The human mind is never more agile or quick than when it is engaged in rationalization.” So true, and I would add, when it is making excuses.

Have you said or thought any of these?
- “I’ve tried to change, but this is just the way I am.”
- “I would say something, but I might sound stupid.”
- “I would like to, but I’m too old/fat/clumsy/young/slow/_______.”
- “I would go, but he/she/they would get mad/sad/annoyed/_______.”
- “I want _________, but __________.”
- “I would share my feelings, but I am uncomfortable/ would cry/ feel foolish.”
- “I think about telling ________ the truth, but I am afraid ____________.”
- “I would get up and exercise before work, but I am not a morning person.”

We want our world to make sense so we rationalize our behavior and make excuses. We analyze ourselves and try to figure out “why” we operate or think the way we do. We are the sum of all our experiences and no two of us have the same set of variables. At the end of the day – or sadly for many, at the end of our lives – we didn’t figure it out and we didn’t change or live the way we wanted to.

Read the rest of the article here and come back and share your thoughts and insights1

Strength in Weakness

"When the heart weeps for what it has lost,
The spirit laughs for what it has found." - Unknown -

When we are weak and grieving a loss, it can
become a great strength if we will allow it.
There is POWER in our challenges and trials.
Scripture tells us it "...will yield the peaceful
fruit of righteousness". We will all
suffer in this life. It is God's training ground
and the purpose is to grow us. Look inside. See
what has been found - and laugh in joy and gratitude.