The Broken Hour Glass

Wheres Edan? I asked Elijah and Titus, who were checking out the toys in the bookst
ore. They shrugged their shoulders and tilted their heads in a clueless manner.
Usually my three boys stick together when we are in public places. I even dress
them alike so its easier to spot them. But Edan was nowhere in sight.
I probably would have panicked had I not ventured toward the paper section and c
aught sight of his very recognizable red shoe. It was sticking out on one side o
f a shelf. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor.
Relieved, I maneuvered my shopping cart up to him. Why was he hiding behind the
bookshelf? He told me soon enough.
Mom I broke something. His countenance revealed embarrassment and fear.
Really? What happened?
He stuck his hand behind a stack of papers and pulled out a miniature hour glass
that was bent out of shape. Its glass was cracked open, too. I suppose he had t
ried to conceal the thing because it had no business camping out in that dark co
rner where no one could see it.
You have to tell the sales lady, was my response. Then I turned it over. 79 pesos.
Whew. I could cover for this if the store charged us.
I encouraged him to confess to the sales lady and explain to her what happened.
He didnt want to at first because he was scared. But this was necessary for his c
haracter growth owning up to his mistake. And I added that he could ask for mercy
.
He requested that I accompany him, which I did. We found a sweet looking sales l
ady to admit the accident to. She looked at Edan who held up the broken hour gla
ss with his small hands. (I was hoping she was thinking he was so adorable.)
She went to her manager and came back a few minutes later saying, Its okay. We didnt
need to buy it! Yeah! I was so happy. Edan was certainly relieved!
I didnt know what the outcome was going to be when he made his confession. But I
was glad that Edan experienced mercy. Ultimately I attributed this to Gods mercy.
Edan did the right thing by being honest. Thankfully this was affirmed by the f
orgiveness he experienced.
The Bible says, He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up h
is soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing
from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. (Psalms 24:3-5 NA
SB)
I am not saying that a person will always be exempted from the consequences of t
heir mistakes, but at the very least, when that person admits to them openly, he
makes himself right before God. And that is the best thing that can happen to h
im or her.
When parents tell me that their children have problems with lying, I encourage t
hem to consider whether their child has an authentic relationship with the Lord.
The Bible reveals this, For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in
the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all
goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the L
ord. (Ephesians 5:8-10 NASB)
Children of God will bear the fruit goodness, righteousness, and truth. While its
possible to struggle with truthfulness even if a person knows God, at some poin
t the Holy Spirits conviction to confess will be too strong to ignore.
In the Bible, King David wrestled with confessing his immorality with Bathsheeba
and his murder of Uzziah, but eventually he acknowledged his sin before the Lor
d and Nathan, the prophet. He lost his son as a consequence but he experienced s
piritual and physical restoration.
How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose s
pirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away T
hrough my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. I acknowle
dged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, I will confess my tra
nsgressions to the LORD ; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Many are the sorro
ws of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround h
im. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all
you who are upright in heart. (Psalms 32:2-5, 10, 11 NASB)
When I was a kid I would lie, cheat and steal. I knew it was wrong but I wasnt as
remorseful as I should have been. When I turned 9 years old, I asked Jesus to b
e my Lord and Savior, and I developed the desire to live with integrity. Even if
I was still tempted to cover up or dodge the consequences of my wrongs, the Hol
y Spirit wouldnt allow me to rest or have peace in my heart.
For example, when Edric and I were struggling with purity in our dating relation
ship I wanted us to tell my parents. It was a mortifying thought but Edric felt
the same need to do so as well. When we did tell them it was one of the most ter
rifying experiences of my life (and possibly his), but God was able to take our
failure and use it for good. There was the reality of shame to deal with, but we
received mercy and forgiveness by coming into the light.
Did we have to tell them? I mean what kind of 23 year olds talk to their parents
about something like this?! We were adults. But God made it clear that if we wa
nted their blessing for our future marriage, then they had to know that we strug
gled with purity in our relationship. When they gave the blessing for us to get
married, it was with insight and knowledge of all the facts.
We all need to respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit when he puts a conviction
in our hearts. What he asks us to do may not be easy. Often times it is the har
der road to take. But we must commit to obey first and then entrust the results
to God, including the consequences that may ensue.
I asked Edan why he told me that he broke the hour glass. I imagine that he was
pretty nervous while he sat in the shadowed shelter of the bookshelf, contemplat
ing what to do. His response was, I wanted to do the right thing.
When I followed up with But why did you want to do the right thing?, he answered Be
cause I wanted to obey God.
Edan didnt have to tell me. No one would have known. But because he has a relatio
nship with the Lord, he was compelled to obey him.
Someday Edric and I wont be around to tell him what is right and wrong. This is t
rue for all of our children. They must all develop the habit of being sensitive
to Gods prodding now. In the future, should they commit bigger and more serious m
istakes, I hope they will all have the courage to own up to them as well.
This is a value Edric and I need to teach our children and remember to practice
ourselves. Its about integrity and righteousness the conviction to please God in p
ublic and private, knowing that we stand accountable before him. We need to fear
him more than men.
And the bonus isGod bestows amazing favor upon those who walk up rightly!
O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want. The
young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be
in want of any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you th
e fear of the LORD. Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days tha
t he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit
. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD a
re toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD
is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteo
us cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. (Psalms
34:9-17 NASB)