Afraid to Tell the Truth?
Sometimes it can seem scary to tell the truth. When I was a little girl I loved to build houses and towns with Legos. One time I was happily building, with pieces scattered all about me. As I reached over to grab a Lego I needed, I felt a crunch under me. To my dismay, I found that one of the large flat pieces had broken in two!
I felt awful and a little scared. What if Mommy got really upset at me? What if she wouldn’t let me play with Legos ever again?! Maybe she wouldn’t care if I didn’t tell her. It would be so easy to tuck the pieces back in the pile. Nobody would have to know who broke it. But then I thought of how I would feel inside and how Jesus would feel if I hid the truth. I wanted people to be able to trust me, even when no one was looking.
I picked up the pieces and got to my feet. Mom was busy and I tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up. “Yes, honey?”
“I—I broke this piece,” I stammered, tears coming to my eyes. “I’m really sorry.”
She put her arm around me and gave me a squeeze. “I forgive you,” she said. “You’ll try to be more careful?”
I nodded, and inside I felt so happy! I had done the right thing and it hadn’t even been as hard as I thought!
Have you ever had to decide whether to tell the truth or lie, or maybe like me, not say anything so that no one will know? We are sure to think of all the awful things that will happen if we tell the truth. The real fact is, that whatever will happen, it’s so much better to have everything clear between us and others, and especially with God. It’s wonderful to know that we can be trusted to tell the truth no matter what!