Smoking Out the Phonies

“Vindicate me, O Lord, for I  have walked in thy integrity, And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering” (Palms 26:1).

Hey gang:  John was one of the most exciting young folks that we were blessed to have spend some time with us while working at the Village.  But he had a tendency to do the wrong thing at the right time and the right thing at the wrong time. 

One day when he had been removed from class and sent back to his residence for doing the wrong that at the wrong time…again! He was given the chore of helping the house mom peel the spuds for dinner.  We found that peeling spuds was a good time to peel some of the dross that our young lads had picked up in their lifetime; it put their hands to work and their minds in neutral.

In the course of conversation he asked the house mom, “Joella, do you know why God sent me here?”  To which Joella responded, “No, I don’t know why God would do that to me.”  His answer, “To smoke out the phonies”. Out the mouth of babes comes truth.

All of us know people who are not the same on the inside as they are on the outside.  Jesus addressed this malady in His Sermon on the Mount when He said, “Let your statement be, Yes, Yes, or ‘No, no’; for anything beyond these is of evil.” (Matt. 5:37).   Jesus went on to say, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be notice by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” ( 6:1).

Sooo, keep in mind, life is like a vise- at times it’ll squeeze you.  In those moments, like squeezing the toothpaste, what is inside can make an awful mess if not controlled.   Have you praised God lately for his forgiveness? Keep in mind God forgives us in the same measure that we forgive others! 

Now, ya all have a good day, ya hear?

Blessings,

Gramps