The "Worst" Day Of His Life

#1 · July 25, 2003, 9:14 am

Quote from Forum Archives on July 25, 2003, 9:14 am
Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

<>< The Worst Day Of His Life ><>

Wind-lashed rain whipped ten-year-old Ivan's face as he slowly walked home from school that blustery afternoon. Today had been the worst day of his young life. To begin with, he had forgotten to take his homework to school that morning and the teacher had given him an "F" for the day. Then he had had a knock-down, drag-out fight with his best friend and was called into the principal's office. Now, tucked away in his pocket, there was a note from Mr. Jenkins, detailing Ivan's sins and requiring a signature from his parents before he could be admitted to school the next day. The fight had been bad enough, but what had happened afterward was even worse.

Mr. Jenkins tried to call Ivan's parents from the school, but they were out. In one way, that was good. Ivan hated the thought of his mother and father having to appear at school. But, on the other hand, he felt that he was really going to "get it" when he got home. One thing in his favor, though, when he confronted his parents he would be on his own turf.

His mother read the note silently, then laid it down on the kitchen table. She eye balled Ivan, her eyebrows wrinkled into a frown. "What was the fight about?" she asked.

Ivan swallowed hard. Sitting at the table, his usual home-from-school snack of a glass of milk and cookies sitting untouched beside him, he groped for the right words. They wouldn't come.

"I'm waiting," his mother said. "Why were you and Jimmy fighting at school today?"

"I don't know for sure," Ivan murmured, his head hung down so far that his chin was touching his chest. "We were playing football and he pushed me too hard. I guess I just punched him back."

Ivan's mother sat down in the chair opposite her son. She picked up the note from Mr. Jenkins. "It says here that we have to sign this note or you will not be allowed into school tomorrow. The fight must have been pretty serious. I mean, don't they usually give students in-school suspension for something like this?"

"Yes'm."

"Then, what was the difference? Are you telling me everything?"

His mother had quickly figured out that there was more to the incident than just a playground fight. There was nothing to do but to fess up. "No, ma'am."

"Well," his mother said. "Out with it."

Ivan swallowed -- hard. Then he looked up at his mother and answered, "I lied."

His mother's expression hardened. "What about?"

"Jimmy. I told Mr. Jenkins that he threw the first punch. And when he asked me if I was sure of that, I lied again by saying yes. Then Mr. Jenkins said that he had been looking out the window of his office and had seen the whole thing. He said that he knew that I had thrown the first punch."

"So the reason for this note is not so much that you were fighting with Jimmy, but that you lied to Mr. Jenkins about it and tried to get Jimmy into trouble and save yourself."

"Yes'm."

Ivan's mother sighed heavily. "Thank God for Christian schools. I am so glad we decided to send you to one."

"Yes, ma'am. But what makes it even harder is that the principal is also the preacher. And he was just being mean."

"Because you got into trouble for lying?" Then her expression softened. "No. He wasn't being mean, Ivan. He was showing you tough love, the same kind of tough love that Jesus showed the rich young man who wanted to know what he should do to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. "Sell all you have," Jesus told him, "and give it to the poor." But the young man was very rich and could not bear to part with his money, so he refused. Jesus told the young man the whole truth, no matter how much it hurt, because it was important that he knew it."

"What's that got to do with lying about who started a fight?"

"A lot. 'Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.' Remember that Commandment? If Mr. Jenkins hadn't seen the fight and believed you about Jimmy, then your friend would have gotten into a lot of trouble that he didn't deserve.

"No one can trust a liar," she continued, "and if people cannot believe what you say, they cannot trust you. Pastor Jenkins wanted to drive that point home, which he did by sending this note and forcing you to confront us with the truth. Do you want us to believe what you say?"

"Yes'm, and I'm really sorry."

Ivan's mother reached for a pen. Then she signed the note. "Ivan, even a little lie can grow into a big one. There is no such thing as a 'white lie.' If people are to trust you, they must believe everything that you say -- just like we believe everything Jesus told us. Do you think Jesus would lie?"

"No, ma'am. Jesus would never lie to us."

"Then," she said, "take His example and always tell the complete truth to everyone. I think you now know what can happen if you don't."

"This is been the worst day of my life," Ivan wailed, tears coursing down his cheeks.

"On the contrary, Ivan," he mother said gently. "Today you have learned one of God's great truths. This has been a very important day in your life."

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10 NIV)

~::^^::~::^^::~::^^::~::^^::~::^^::~::^^::~::^^::~::~::^^::~::^^::~

<>< GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY ><>

Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it:

Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create conditions in your life.

What you speak about, you can bring about. If you keep saying you can't stand your job, you might lose your job.

If you keep saying you can't stand your body, your body can become sick.

If you keep saying you can't stand your car, your car could be stolen or just stop operating.

If you keep saying you're always broke, guess what? You'll always be broke.

If you keep saying you can't trust a man or trust a woman, you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.

If you keep saying you can't find a job, you will remain unemployed.

If you keep saying you can't find someone to love you or believe in you, your very thoughts will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.
Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive and power packed with faith, hope, love and action.

Don't be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.

Watch your "Thoughts," they become words. Watch your "Words," they become actions.

Watch your "Actions," they become habits. Watch your "Habits," they become character.

Watch your "Character," for it becomes your "Destiny."

GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY!

******************************************************

Have a Blessed Day

Dave and Barbara

Necessary Legal Information

I do not mail idea-central unsolicited. If you are receiving this newsletter from me it's because you have subscribed to this mailing list. If you receive this newsletter and are not a subscriber then someone, other than me, has forwarded it to you.

Normal Subscribe: idea-central-subscribe@welovegod.org

Normal Unsubscribe: idea-central-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Web Subscribe: idea-central-allow-subscribe@welovegod.org

Web Unsubscribe: idea-central-allow-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Email Group Owner: idea-central-owner@associate.com

Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

<>< The Worst Day Of His Life ><>

Wind-lashed rain whipped ten-year-old Ivan's face as he slowly walked home from school that blustery afternoon. Today had been the worst day of his young life. To begin with, he had forgotten to take his homework to school that morning and the teacher had given him an "F" for the day. Then he had had a knock-down, drag-out fight with his best friend and was called into the principal's office. Now, tucked away in his pocket, there was a note from Mr. Jenkins, detailing Ivan's sins and requiring a signature from his parents before he could be admitted to school the next day. The fight had been bad enough, but what had happened afterward was even worse.

Mr. Jenkins tried to call Ivan's parents from the school, but they were out. In one way, that was good. Ivan hated the thought of his mother and father having to appear at school. But, on the other hand, he felt that he was really going to "get it" when he got home. One thing in his favor, though, when he confronted his parents he would be on his own turf.

His mother read the note silently, then laid it down on the kitchen table. She eye balled Ivan, her eyebrows wrinkled into a frown. "What was the fight about?" she asked.

Ivan swallowed hard. Sitting at the table, his usual home-from-school snack of a glass of milk and cookies sitting untouched beside him, he groped for the right words. They wouldn't come.

"I'm waiting," his mother said. "Why were you and Jimmy fighting at school today?"

"I don't know for sure," Ivan murmured, his head hung down so far that his chin was touching his chest. "We were playing football and he pushed me too hard. I guess I just punched him back."

Ivan's mother sat down in the chair opposite her son. She picked up the note from Mr. Jenkins. "It says here that we have to sign this note or you will not be allowed into school tomorrow. The fight must have been pretty serious. I mean, don't they usually give students in-school suspension for something like this?"

"Yes'm."

"Then, what was the difference? Are you telling me everything?"

His mother had quickly figured out that there was more to the incident than just a playground fight. There was nothing to do but to fess up. "No, ma'am."

"Well," his mother said. "Out with it."

Ivan swallowed -- hard. Then he looked up at his mother and answered, "I lied."

His mother's expression hardened. "What about?"

"Jimmy. I told Mr. Jenkins that he threw the first punch. And when he asked me if I was sure of that, I lied again by saying yes. Then Mr. Jenkins said that he had been looking out the window of his office and had seen the whole thing. He said that he knew that I had thrown the first punch."

"So the reason for this note is not so much that you were fighting with Jimmy, but that you lied to Mr. Jenkins about it and tried to get Jimmy into trouble and save yourself."

"Yes'm."

Ivan's mother sighed heavily. "Thank God for Christian schools. I am so glad we decided to send you to one."

"Yes, ma'am. But what makes it even harder is that the principal is also the preacher. And he was just being mean."

"Because you got into trouble for lying?" Then her expression softened. "No. He wasn't being mean, Ivan. He was showing you tough love, the same kind of tough love that Jesus showed the rich young man who wanted to know what he should do to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. "Sell all you have," Jesus told him, "and give it to the poor." But the young man was very rich and could not bear to part with his money, so he refused. Jesus told the young man the whole truth, no matter how much it hurt, because it was important that he knew it."

"What's that got to do with lying about who started a fight?"

"A lot. 'Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.' Remember that Commandment? If Mr. Jenkins hadn't seen the fight and believed you about Jimmy, then your friend would have gotten into a lot of trouble that he didn't deserve.

"No one can trust a liar," she continued, "and if people cannot believe what you say, they cannot trust you. Pastor Jenkins wanted to drive that point home, which he did by sending this note and forcing you to confront us with the truth. Do you want us to believe what you say?"

"Yes'm, and I'm really sorry."

Ivan's mother reached for a pen. Then she signed the note. "Ivan, even a little lie can grow into a big one. There is no such thing as a 'white lie.' If people are to trust you, they must believe everything that you say -- just like we believe everything Jesus told us. Do you think Jesus would lie?"

"No, ma'am. Jesus would never lie to us."

"Then," she said, "take His example and always tell the complete truth to everyone. I think you now know what can happen if you don't."

"This is been the worst day of my life," Ivan wailed, tears coursing down his cheeks.

"On the contrary, Ivan," he mother said gently. "Today you have learned one of God's great truths. This has been a very important day in your life."

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10 NIV)

~::^^::~::^^::~::^^::~::^^::~::^^::~::^^::~::^^::~::~::^^::~::^^::~

<>< GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY ><>

Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it:

Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create conditions in your life.

What you speak about, you can bring about. If you keep saying you can't stand your job, you might lose your job.

If you keep saying you can't stand your body, your body can become sick.

If you keep saying you can't stand your car, your car could be stolen or just stop operating.

If you keep saying you're always broke, guess what? You'll always be broke.

If you keep saying you can't trust a man or trust a woman, you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.

If you keep saying you can't find a job, you will remain unemployed.

If you keep saying you can't find someone to love you or believe in you, your very thoughts will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.
Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive and power packed with faith, hope, love and action.

Don't be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.

Watch your "Thoughts," they become words. Watch your "Words," they become actions.

Watch your "Actions," they become habits. Watch your "Habits," they become character.

Watch your "Character," for it becomes your "Destiny."

GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY!

******************************************************

Have a Blessed Day

Dave and Barbara

Necessary Legal Information

I do not mail idea-central unsolicited. If you are receiving this newsletter from me it's because you have subscribed to this mailing list. If you receive this newsletter and are not a subscriber then someone, other than me, has forwarded it to you.

Normal Subscribe:	idea-central-subscribe@welovegod.org
Normal Unsubscribe:	idea-central-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Web Subscribe:	idea-central-allow-subscribe@welovegod.org
Web Unsubscribe:	idea-central-allow-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

Email Group Owner:	idea-central-owner@associate.com