Pants on Fire

Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No” be no.  

- James 5:12

Are there certain things people do that drive you nuts?  One of my greatest pet peeves is being lied to. I think it happens to me so often because my “BS meter” is broken.  I’m quick to trust that people are telling me the truth.  I take their “Yes” to mean yes and their “No” to mean no.  A few mechanics, salespeople, and construction contractors have really liked this.

You’ll laugh when I tell you about our first construction project.  Prior to moving from Massachusetts after Dan’s residency, we hired a construction company to renovate part of the house we had recently bought in Vermont. I was tasked by Dan as the “project manager.” Giving this job to the mother of a newborn and two kids under five was, in hindsight, not such a good idea.  All the diapers, laundry, dishes, and round-the-clock nursing must have fried my brain, because at some point I thought that giving the contractor access to our bank account was a smart and easy way to pay their bills.  

It didn’t take long for them to get comfortable withdrawing money.  We paid for a porch roof that was mistakenly built three feet to the side of the door it was supposed to be directly over.  Then we paid for them to take it down and re-build it in its proper place.  Plumbing had to be expensively re-routed because walls were mistakenly torn down. 

I had assumed that they’d know where roofs go and which walls have pipes in them.  As they assured me these were routine hiccups and unavoidable mistakes, our renovation crept 30% over budget.  I could never get clear, honest answers and by the end, I was pulling out my hair and screaming curses into the phone.  (Sorry James, I know we’re not supposed to do that).  I was blown away by all the lies. 

Do you have wounds from people lying to you?  I’ve learned the hard way that un-forgiveness keeps these wounds open and leads to scarring rather than healing.  The bitterness hurts only me, not those who wronged me.  When I finally forgive, I feel set free.  It’s not easy, which is probably why Jesus told His followers that forgiveness is something you have to do over and over again.  

Looking back, if instead of cursing the construction company owner I had prayed for him every day at 3pm, it would have sped up the healing process and been a happier person.  When you pray for someone who has wronged you, as tough as that sounds, it softens your heart and positions you to better see them from God’s point of view.  Give it a try and see how prayer does indeed have the power to heal your heart and relationships.  It really works!

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement