Our world moves pretty fast from the moment we leave the safety of the family
cocoon and enter the world where everyone is in competition to become better,
higher, faster, farther and more.
Now surely some of this is necessary to our growth and
development for in our personal desire to grow, we need the impetus to get off
our backsides and actual DO something. Otherwise, we will simply sit and rot.
But when we think about our life, the events that are of substance and style versus those that are just what we wished we might have done, sometimes we blur those lines and take the wishes and make them a memory that never had substance to back the dream.
Lying, prevaricating, selective memory, gray area, define what is is... it doesn’t matter the terms we apply to it, when truth is only a tiny part of the story, then the story is a lie.
We tell tales small and tall, we speak to others seeing ourselves as big as we wish we were, and hope that most folks can see the fun in our tales for just what it is – fun. But sometimes, they can’t.
And that is when the harm happens. They honestly deeply believe what we have said. They want to believe we did great things and look up to us for the stories we’ve shared.
But before almighty God, they didn’t happen in the way we told them.
So then what?
If we are politicians, we say “I misspoke” and send out a weak mea culpa on social media and all is forgiven and forgotten unless it is an election year and it can be used in some way to wound and destroy.
But if we are to be Children of God, truly honesty and deeply sincere Children of God, we can’t live like politicians choose to live.
We who desire to be called by the Good Shepherd by our names must be worthy of being part of the flock.
But when we think about our life, the events that are of substance and style versus those that are just what we wished we might have done, sometimes we blur those lines and take the wishes and make them a memory that never had substance to back the dream.
Lying, prevaricating, selective memory, gray area, define what is is... it doesn’t matter the terms we apply to it, when truth is only a tiny part of the story, then the story is a lie.
We tell tales small and tall, we speak to others seeing ourselves as big as we wish we were, and hope that most folks can see the fun in our tales for just what it is – fun. But sometimes, they can’t.
And that is when the harm happens. They honestly deeply believe what we have said. They want to believe we did great things and look up to us for the stories we’ve shared.
But before almighty God, they didn’t happen in the way we told them.
So then what?
If we are politicians, we say “I misspoke” and send out a weak mea culpa on social media and all is forgiven and forgotten unless it is an election year and it can be used in some way to wound and destroy.
But if we are to be Children of God, truly honesty and deeply sincere Children of God, we can’t live like politicians choose to live.
We who desire to be called by the Good Shepherd by our names must be worthy of being part of the flock.
So today, I confess, I may have exaggerated my life. I may
have indeed wanted to appear better than I am, to accentuate both what I did in
reality do and what I deeply wish I’d done instead of allowing everyone to see
me for who I truly am.
Broken, mortal, flawed and in need of love and friendship anyway.
Because I know I am not alone, I also reach out to those who have likewise shared the tall tales and the worn stories of both truth and truth mingled with a healthy dose of fiction.
We can be honest enough to say that we might have taken liberties with reality in order to seem like more than we are in the mirror by ourselves.
We can be truthful enough to say that we have seen both our strengths and weaknesses in full measure and try our best to live up to who we are – and more importantly, whom we are not.
So today, I confess, I may have exaggerated my life. I’m not larger than life. I’m barely life-sized. And I hope that will be enough to get along with for now.
Broken, mortal, flawed and in need of love and friendship anyway.
Because I know I am not alone, I also reach out to those who have likewise shared the tall tales and the worn stories of both truth and truth mingled with a healthy dose of fiction.
We can be honest enough to say that we might have taken liberties with reality in order to seem like more than we are in the mirror by ourselves.
We can be truthful enough to say that we have seen both our strengths and weaknesses in full measure and try our best to live up to who we are – and more importantly, whom we are not.
So today, I confess, I may have exaggerated my life. I’m not larger than life. I’m barely life-sized. And I hope that will be enough to get along with for now.
