Yesterday I went to check on my friend. While outside talking, he looked at the bed of his truck. “What happened here?” he said. The bed of his truck was bent by something he had run over and didn’t see, or someone else did the damage. I helped him backtrack to all of the places he had been during the day. He thought perhaps it may have been his hay unroller, but upon inspection it was not the case. I told him the only place damage such as he had, would likely be the feed store. Upon asking him questions about his visit there, he said “No.”
He lay awake most of the night fretting over the mishap. When I arrived this morning he was angry as could be. I walked into a hornet’s nest. He told me he figured out what happened to his truck. He was in paying for his feed, after having left instructions to the men where he wanted the feed and syrup tub. When he returned he noticed the syrup tub had been placed at the side of the bed with feed sacks surrounding the tub, but thought nothing of it. He told me another man was watching him from across the street, and thought it odd. …and then the lights came on. He told me a forklift did the damage and the man who had the accident was trying to cover the damage, hoping my friend would not see. The man’s other friend who was across the street, in the place of telling my friend about the mishap, entered into the cover-up himself, thinking he was protecting his friend. He is as guilty as the one trying to hide the damage. He was watching my friend to see if he noticed the damage.
Mystery solved. I asked what time of morning he solved the crime. 3 a.m. I asked if he had any sleep. “No.” He called the owner of the store promptly at 7 a.m. At first the owner was a little “testy”, but told him to bring his truck in this morning. The truck and the bed are brand new.
My friend returned home and called me. He said he was back without bruises and the matter was settled. It was as my friend suspected. When the owner looked at the
damage, he said. “He certainly did a number on the bed of the truck.” The owner of the store is calling for a new bed to be placed on his truck next week.
I knew why my friend became angry. Though he did not want the bed of his truck damaged, it didn’t bother him nearly as much as the cover-up and deception which occurred, by the two men.
“The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful:
to make the most of what we have:
to be happy with simple pleasures:
and have courage when things go wrong.” ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder
“And the land be subdued before the Lord: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the Lord, and before Israel:; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find out.” Numbers 32:22-23
“No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
It is best to be honest in all things. Though admitting to guilt in a matter may hurt for a moment and consequences of such. You can walk in the knowledge that you did that which was right in the sight of God, and things normally have a way of working themselves out. Coupled with that, you build character and integrity, for you become trustworthy. People will believe what you tell them because of your honesty.
“Recompence to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.” Romans 12:17
“Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.” Proverbs 28:6
“There is one man whose respect I must have at all hazards, and his name is James A. Garfield – for I must room with him, walk with him, work with him, eat with him, commune with him – live with him.” ~ James Garfield
“Reputation is what others think of us; character is what God knows of us. When you have spent what feels like eternity trying to repair a few moments of time that destroyed the view others once had of you, then you must ask yourself if you have the problem or is it really them? God doesn’t make us try so hard, only enemies do.” ~ Alder
Eileen Light