Convictions

Truthfully, I am not the most honest person I know. I get myself into situations that are embarrassing, incriminating, foolish, etc and the last thing I want to do is be caught looking like an idiot. So there are times when I lie, rarely to others but to myself and to God. I can only admit this because I had an epiphany; I've always wanted to use that word, but never thought I had a significant enough reason, until yesterday. 

                One of my amazing children made a mistake when calling from a classmate’s phone. When I asked whose phone they were using to call, stuttering and 'huh?' began. They gave me a name and I went with it, but my intuitive wife didn't. So, she looked up the said person's number and strangely enough, not one of the numbers matched! Sure the number could have been changed, but not likely. So my wife suggested I do a "call back", so I did. When the phone was answered, there was laughter and music and all the things parents don't want to hear when they are trying to get to the bottom of a child's questionable decision making. Again I asked, "Whose phone are you using?" Again with the "huh" thing. (Gets old quick) "Whose phone are you using?" Strangely the name sounded different in gender... BUSTED! 

It was unfortunate for someone that I had been immersed in Deuteronomy for the past week and a half. This lie was about to be handled the Old Testament way. Fortunately, I had a little time before I could get to them and a little voice prompted me to pray before I did. That little voice belonged to my wife. I took a few minutes to whine about what I had to endure with these lying and questionable decisions of a teenager. Then I took a few minutes to listen to another quiet voice. That voice quickly brought back some vivid pictures of a man who has thought worse thoughts, made poorer choices, done worse things, and lied to others to cover my butt. On top of that I imagined how many times I have told myself that I was justified in doing so because of what someone else's reaction would be. Then came the epiphany, If I want my children to have the convictions I give, they must be the convictions I live. I want integrity to be the norm in our home, which means integrity must be the norm in my heart...

 

A forgiven dad,

Anson