Life Lesson #207 ~ Tall Tales

“Lying won’t erase the truth, it can only delay it’s discovery.” ~Unknown

I realize I talk a lot about my growing up years. My daddy called me Motor Mouth as a little girl. So yes, I talk a lot. And I write a lot too. I suppose that’s largely due to my upbringing. I've had quite the adventures if I do say so myself. My childhood was full of up and at 'em kind of days. Memories, I sopped up like a biscuit to gravy to be honest. And for a writer that's never a bad thing. I’ve certainly enjoyed my share of interesting humdingers along the way, that’s for sure. I can’t say I haven’t seen the world because I have. I’ve lived all around the globe and across this amazing country I call home. I’ve climbed mountains, sailed oceans, laid my eyes upon many of the world’s greatest wonders, danced inside castles and listened to symphonies within beautiful, old and historic halls. I’m blessed, that’s for sure. By God’s grace and my parents adventurous spirits, I’ve spent most of my life absorbing new experiences. No one can say otherwise. You could say adventure is my middle name and imagination my first. There's no denying I've definitely experienced my share of escapades along the way. Now down here in the South our fairy tales usually begin with, “Y’all ain’t gonna believe this…” And truthfully most of my own tales start the same way. This one is no different y'all…

Now it all begins with one little untruth. And I don’t mean a white lie or a little embellishment. I’m talking about a full blown, outright fib. I know, right? Who me, tell a whopper of a story? Well, the truth is none of us are saints. We’re all sinners, saved by grace and I'm no different when it comes to sinin'. Alright now, listen up y'all, this is how it all began. My story opens up some 38 years ago on a warm, southern summer night. I never reckoned this particular evening would eventually go down in my personal history as quite the whale of a tale it has. But it sure did. Now, I was six years old around the time we moved to Louisiana. I’d met my daddy’s family for the very first time as my story goes. Up 'till then we’d been all around the world and back again, but never there. I was excited. I mean we were within driving distance of my Granny, Grandda uncles, aunts and cousins. I'd only heard tales of my daddy's kin. This was the real deal now, the real McCoy. I was in Heaven. My cousins Kim and Kiley were the best thing in my life since sliced bread. We took to one another lickety split, like three peas in a pod. As Kiley and I were no bigger than knee high to a grasshopper we usually had our sassy pants on. We'd run around Granny's like ragamuffins till the cows came home. Being quite full of spirit and rather lively as well, we were aways draggin' poor Kim into some kind of crazy gallivanting stunt or another.  I can still see her looking at us as if we'd lost our ever luvin' minds. And the night the aliens showed up was no different. Yes, I said aliens. Let’s just say our story made about as much sense as a soup sandwich. Still, it was our story and we were sticking to it. Now, don’t get me started on how any of the story I’m about to tell you makes any sense. We’re talking about 6 and 7 years old imaginations here. What I can tell you though is this. Everyone's feathers were ruffled by the end of the night. If Kiley and I could have skedaddled up into that spaceship we’d invented in our colossal, now infamous tale, we would have. To explain myself today as a 44 year old woman looking back on my 6 year old self I'd say I'm fairly close to the conclusion I wasn’t using my brain at all that night. In retrospect it would be easier to say I wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box on that particular summer night. Truth is Kiley and I got carried away, and by the time we realized our little shenanigan made about as much sense as slinging a hammock between two corn stalks, we’d already put all our eggs in the basket. I should have known better. We did know better actually. Our mama’s didn't raise no fools, but our story just kept growin' and growin'. Very much like Pinocchio’s nose I imagine. Before we realized our fun had gone off the rails, poor Kim was knocked out of bed...from the top bunk, with a mattress on her head. Yes, I’m not proud of this moment but nonetheless it happened. My folks and I were spending the night at my Uncle Mike’s place this particular night. We’d just made it in from Florida, leaving one post for another. We’d arrived, eaten and it was time for bed. Kim climbed up on the top bunk and Kiley and I decided to share the bottom one. Again Jiminy Cricket’s words kinda ring rather loud looking back in hindsight anyway. ”There are some things that seem right at the time.” And then then there are those you should know better. And if you have to finagle the truth, you know you’ve made a monkey’s uncles of yourself,  haven’t you? And there’s no well phooey about it either. Back to our story though, for whatever the reason Kiley and I seemed to believe kicking at Kim’s mattress was a good idea. It wasn’t. Before we realized how far we’d actually gone Kim was plummeting from her top bunk onto the ground. Kiley and I were suddenly silent. We took one look around us, at Kim, then at each other and took off for the closet. Kim was mad, and rightfully so when my daddy and Uncle Mike burst through the door. Trouble was a brewing too. They found us hiding in the closet, huddled together. And no we didn't play possum. We bit off more than we could chew, that's what we did. Then directly dove head first into our not so well planned out debacle. The first words out of our mouth went something along the lines of ….”Aliens, tried to kidnap us daddy. We tried fighting them off...really we did...but the mattress fell, we saw them try beaming Kim up as we ran into the closet waiting for help.” Oh boy is right. I told you this one was a whopper, didn’t I?  There I was literally making up some kind of out of this world nonsense while trying to save myself from the consequences of my own tall tale. Lord have mercy, what a hot mess we were in, weren’t we? It was a teachable moment though. One that’s stayed with me all these years. I saw the disappointment in my mama’s eyes. Lying in our home was never acceptable. And like it or not, I’d told my very first lie and a whopper of a tale too. And yes, both Kiley and I learned as Kim nursed her bruises…”What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” I’d say we learned a lot about fibbing and telling the truth that night, let me tell you. As Jiminy Cricket says, “Go ahead, make a fool of yourself, then maybe you’ll listen to your conscience.” And we certainly did that, that’s for dog gone sure.

Stories, well they're all well and good unless you’re lookin' to tell a whopper of a fish tale, that is. What's the sayin' ? It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Well tall tales are kinda the same thing. Fun until you're the butt of the story, right? Telling your own fish stories meant to bend the truth for your benefit, is nothing better than an outright lie. The Blue Fairy tells it straight. “A lie keeps growing and growing until it’s a as plain as the nose on your face.” I’d say I learned this quite honestly back on that summer night of 1979 in Bossier City, Louisiana for sure. Proverbs 13:3 says this about lies and the truth. “Be careful what you say and protect your life. A careless talker destroys himself.” And that is exactly what lying will do...destroy you. See a half truth is a whole lie. That’s what the old Jewish proverb says anyway. I'm just sayin',  I’m inclined to believe it's true these days. Now, since then I've learned a great deal about life and people. Lies are so common in our world today it’s hard to know what’s truth and what’s not anymore. Many times it’s just easier to scroll past the lie rather than address it. Then you have some who knowing the lie, still encourage the liar. Why? Egos I suppose. You stroke mine, I’ll stroke yours is the mindset really. I think many times social media feeds this notion. Josh Billings hits the nail on the head honestly. “There are people so addicted to exaggeration they can’t tell the truth without lying.” Sadly, so many today have lost sight of that still small voice inside us, you know, the little thing we call...our conscience. This is something our old friend Jiminy Cricket expressed some 77 years ago. “A conscience is that still, small voice that people won’t listen to. That’s the trouble with the world today.” And the cornerstone of today's Life Lesson #207~ Tall Tales. See, like a wise and unknown author shares, “Truth is like surgery. It hurts but cures. Lies are like a painkiller. It gives instant relief but has side effects forever.”

So have you ever seen Disney’s 1940 film Pinocchio? Most of us have I’d wager. It’s the story of a wooden marionette named what else, Pinocchio. Geppetto, this little wooden boys creator makes a wish on s star, longing for his little marionette to be a real boy. And guess what? He does, well eventually anyway. But first, Pinoke, as Jiminy Cricket calls him, has to prove himself worthy. The Blue Fairy, explains just before she leaves to Geppetto’s ‘Little Wooden Head’ he needs to “prove himself brave, truthful and unselfish.” And if he can do this, guess what? Pinocchio will become a real boy. There’s some fairly significant life lessons found within this story if we pay attention. Now let me say it before we get any further along in my tale, I truly loved this movie as a child. I found Pinocchio’s knack for getting into trouble rather amusing most of the time. His character surely taught me to live and dance with no strings. I’m also fairly certain this little wooden boy inspired me to sing, and to believe in the magic within my own heart. I saw his adventurous soul as a plus and I thought many times to myself how his happy-go-lucky attitude was something I truly wanted to possess myself. I related to his gullibleness, childlike awe and innocent, wide-eyed, carefree spirit. Sure he was insecure, but aren't we all? I admired Pinoke's bravery and n in the end how he became selfless. Yep, you guessed it. This story was another one of our many home movie projection reels. And yes, I had this fairy tale on both an LP and Disney’s read along book and cassette tape too. I knew Pinoke, Jiminy, Geppetto, Figaro, Cleo, Honest John, Stomboli and Monstro quite well. And as I’ve grown from a little girl into a mama myself I've kept Pinocchio’s story close to my heart. Everyday of my life since, I've heard the Blue Fairy’s prompting me. And her words to Pinocchio’s conscience has stayed with me. “You must learn to choose between right and wrong.” The thing about choosing what’s right is it isn’t always easy. It just isn’t, that’s the truth plain and simple. Pinoke found this out himself. I know this myself... Christ is very clear, just as in many ways the Blue Fairy was with Pinocchio. Luke 8:17 explains things this way. “For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.” Sin is like that though. It can’t be hidden forever. And lying is one of those sins. Proverbs 12:22 is a reminder of this. “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth.” Sure, you can butter my buns and call me a biscuit all day long. And just as much as you can let sleeping dogs lie, I won't lie myself, but in the end, God wakes ‘em up anyway. He might even do so by throwing open a massively barricaded closet door in the middle of the night just as the ‘aliens’ are escaping in their spaceship. See, Jiminy Cricket's right, “Let your conscience be your guide.” Without it, life goes off the rails, and runs us smack dab into the powerful, fierce and savage jaws of Monstro whose only goal by the way is to consume and kill your spirit savagely and ruthlessly. Lying gets pretty exhausting too. Especially as it expands, stretches and spreads into every part of our conscience. Keeping up with all that storytelling has got to leave a person feeling rather empty and alone too. I found this little tidbit on Pinterest. I'm not sure who the author of this gem is but whoever wrote it is insightful indeed. “Sin is expensive. Incredibly expensive. But the price isn’t paid in cash, it’s paid in mental, emotional and spiritual pain. God didn’t create an arbitrary list of “DO’s” and “DON'TS” to see if we could follow them. No, He laid out a set of essential guidelines for living. His anger towards lying, stealing, cheating, coveting, murder, jealousy and pride is because all of these behaviors destroy relationships. Everything that the Bible labels as sin is something that God is trying to protect us from. His desire is love, peace, grace, and harmony with Him and with all of creation. Sin is defiant rejection of this in an effort to satisfy our own selfish desires.” And that is exactly what lying, big or small  is. It steals love, peace, grace and harmony from our souls. In its place, it leaves us feeling grimy, mucky and grungy, doesn’t it Leaving the lies behind us while embracing the truth ultimately sets us free...just like when the Blue Fairy opened the door, freeing Pinocchio from the cage Stamboli locked him in. Colossians 3:9-10 states this. “Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”

And so today I say this to you my friends. Stop letting those who are angry with you for speaking the truth dampen your spirit. Stop wrastlin' with their sin. It's not yours to pitch a fit over. Just tell 'em to hush. They have no power over you, no means to keep you from the truth of who you are in God’s eyes. Sure some may covet your life, seeking revenge through false words. Some may even attempt much like Honest John the Fox and Gideon the Cat to lead you astray. This is the thing, no amount of lying will ever change the reality of God's truth. To those who spread lies, listen up. You can most certainly strive to control the truth, prevent it from coming to light. You may even repress it, smother it in little white lies, but truth is never shackled or kept hog-tied inside Monstro long. This I know. Now truth is, I've found myself in a few coniption fits that could give Jiminy Cricket a run for his money. Still what I do know about lies and liars is everything comes out in the wash. Sure, I've had my own life nearly sideswiped by the hands and mouths of a liar or two through the years. But what I know is this: Lies are nothing more than jealousy. And jealousy is simply hatred built upon insecurity. I've faced this monster more than once in my life. It's much like facing Monstro himself, racing for the cliffs before he swallows you whole. Certainly one can fabricate lies and believe all the untruths they want. One can even demand your name and place, begging, pleading and wishing  your existence away all day long. A few can even appeal and petition their case, “you’ve had your turn already.” But the reality is the only way anyone can take your conscience or seat at the table from you is if you allow them to. See as long as you don't put your dog in the race or accept an invitation to needless drama, you've got nothin' to loose. The thing about lies and drama and story- tellin' is sometimes liars and bullies are one and the same and sometimes they're not. You gotta be able to read between those lines. Most of the time folks who spend their days lying are simply lost, lonely and needy. Attention is something they crave at all costs. Personally, I've faced some fairly formidable bullies and liars in my day. Some want what you have, to be who you are so badly they'll lie, cheat, steal and manipulate their way through your life. And I do mean through it. But this is the reality... It's not your circus, not your monkeys and most if not all of it is a game and a complete act of fantasy. What liars fear most is being exposed. Why? Because once the mask falls off there's not a thing left...nothing real, authentic or remotely genuine to be found. Pinocchio wanted to be a real boy, to be part of a world he was born outside of. But he had to struggle with his conscience first. And it wasn't an easy task, but still,  in the end he found the courage not only to be brave but selfless too. And this is where his true adventure really began, did it not?

In the South we have a saying. You can't waller with the pigs and not get dirty. And you can't sleep with the dogs and not get fleas. When you get mad 'cause you've been caught lying and story tellin'...well, that's about the same as blaming the cow when the milk gets sour. Now, we sure can spend our lives caring only about ourselves, understanding only our own troubles but it doesn't cut the mustard. To paraphrase an unknown author...some folks are exceptionally good at this and they'll push you over a cliff or down a hill if it gives 'em a better perspective of themselves. What if God had seen us in this light? Salvation and grace would've been lost. But Jesus saw things so differently. He set an example for us. He was a light, showing us how to love, give and think of other's first. See it's not necessarily about receiving less, just thinking more of others first. Why? Well, because Jesus gave His life for us. In retrospect, how much more can we really ask for? Seriously, He's given us more than we could ever offer Him in return. But that's the true gift of sacrifice. This is why lying, manipulating and bending the truth in order to gain what's not ours is such a tragedy. What could be given in love, is taken away greedily by self-indulgence. Lying, it's just such a devious and tricky chore. For one, you have to keep up with the lie itself. Then you have to continue feeding it. And what happens when you actually begin believing and living your lie? I'll tell you. In the end once your audience has gotten bored and exited stage right, the only things you really have left are loneliness and emptiness. See, "if you tell the truth, it becomes part of your past. If you tell a lie, it becomes a part of your future." (unknown) And like it or not, you'll always be chasing your own lie, won't you? Being on top may seem impressive at the moment but I ask you at what price? If you have to lie, cheat, steal and trample anyone to get there, is the cost worth the loss? I'll say it loudly. What honor do you have left once you've chosen this road? I also wonder is this what you really want, to live a lie your whole life? The thing about clawing your way to the number one spot is this: it's a very lonely, isolated, solitary throne. And a lonesome one at that. I might also add it comes with a desolate view from up there on your pedestal too. Not to mention a very, long, painful drop to the bottom once the balance of power shifts. As sad as it may sound some people in this world are not sorry one bit about the lie. Nope, they’re just sorry they got caught. Even worse I’ve found some folks only hate and telling lies simply due to the way others they covet, love you. Remember these words by Tony Evans next time the devil comes around making his case, pleading with you and playing on your insecurities. ”You cannot dwell on both the things of God and the lies of Satan.” This is the thing you must keep in mind, no one can wipe away your existence merely with a wish or a lie. The Devil is strong I’ll give him that, but Jesus Christ is stronger. I am living proof of this. Honesty, more today than ever before I get it. “The only people who are mad at you for speaking the truth are those people who are living a lie.” (unknown)

We've all barked up a wrong tree. Heck we've even been guilty of runnin' around like a chicken without a head. It happens. But if a story's got you sweatin' like a sinner in church, it's time to take the bull by the horns and have a hallelujah come to Jesus meeting. Seriously, ever found yourself listening to a lie, knowing it's about as far fetched as a brick wall talkin' back? Some folks might as well be cutting off their nose in spite of their face when it comes to owning up to the truth.  It's an affliction I suppose but the fact that still remains is none of it amounts to a hill of beans really.  Honestly, breaking it all down, jealousy ultimately produces rotten fruit and a faulty, if not shallow character in our lives. Lying, jealousy's consort purposely leads us toward self - loathing and self - destruction. It's a tricky thing, lying. Once you tell a lie, more follow and by the time you've caught up to your own story tellin' and taken a breath, you've found yourself in a very complicated hot mess. No amount of lying can ever fulfill those deep, dark voids inside of  you. Lying no doubt gives our egos an instant high but lying also only brings heartache once the fib has worn it's welcome out.  See, "Selfish people mistake selfishness for strength. It takes no talent, no intelligence, no self-control and no effort to sacrifice other people for ego." (unknown) And that is exactly what lying is...selfishness. I'll use a recent happening  I recently witnessed as an example. Much like Pinocchio, this particular person longed to be part of something real. Just as sweet little wooden Pinoke's intentions were admirable, so were hers, at first. Yet as time passed envy set in. Opportunities opened up to take and steal. These openings and possibilities for domination just seemed bigger and better and her greed and insecurities grew out of control. Nothing given was ever enough. Before long her longing for more and more took over everything. Much like Pinocchio, she found herself trapped inside a cage. When help arrived, lies were begot by more lies and by the time her story was fully told the truth was nowhere to be found. Sadly, much as with Pinocchio, the Blue Fairy's words applied..."A boy who won't be good might just as well be made of wood." See when the opportunity came to tell the truth, to be honest and undo what had been done, she followed directly in Pinoke's shoes...committed to her story of lies. And as she walked out the door, nose up, we tried to warn her but she wasn't about to listen. All we could do was urge her to mind the door on the way out. I mean if you're insistin' on hollerin' 'Good-bye, Jiminy! Good-bye'...  you can bet the good Lord will hit ya where He split ya on the way out. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink, right? Sometimes you just gotta realize not everyone's cornbread is done in the middle. And that was the case here I do believe. When push came to shove, her response was very much the same as Pinocchio's sadly...completely forsaking her conscience for a lie. The truth is no matter how hard you try, wish or even labor and toil, you can't rewrite history.  It's like waitin' for pigs to fly. Lies don't cause the truth to disappear, or even to become reality. Lies simply postpone truth's reckoning. I love the way Kushanowizoom explains the sweat and energy lies take. "Truth walks barefoot. Lies keep switching shoes." In the end, when lying becomes second nature, just as it was for Pinocchio, everything is lost. I mean everything, all of it...family, friends, hopes and dreams. No matter how hard you try holding on to the lie, every last thing you once longed for disappears. And for what, lies, attention and control? That's the really sad part about lying, manipulating, double - dealing and deceiving, it's not all its cracked up to be. Poor Pinocchio found all this to be true, just like Jiminy said as he went from one hot mess to another. What truly set him free in the end and gave him his heart's desire was honesty. See, when all was said and done Pinocchio finally found his conscience when he realized it wasn't all about him after all.

So now, reaching the end of Life Lesson #207 ~ Tall Tales, Jiminy Cricket’s words come to life more than ever. “Fate is kind. She brings to those who love, the sweet fulfillment of their secret longings.” I may have suffered along the way. My heart may have been broken, my spirit exhausted at times and my soul burdened. Still I know who I am in Christ. All I have or will ever need has already been provided. The secret longings of my heart have been known to my Father since before I was born. Today, I'm living a life at peace with who I am, where I come from and where I’m going. God is good, and His kindness continually breathes joy into my life. Today, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt Christ’s truth in me will forever and always win over Satan’s lies and fibs. Yes, I admit that night so long ago I was caught in a lie. The old southern saying, a guilty dog barks the loudest, was absolutely the dog gone truth that night. You know the one I’m talking about, right? See now when I remember back on that warm summer night in Louisiana as the ‘aliens’ came knocking outside our window near 4 decades ago, I giggle a little. For sure I wasn't acting like I had good sense at the time but since then you can bet your bottom dollar I’ve learned more than a few things about liars and telling the truth. One of the biggest however, is this: Never argue with anyone who truly believes their own lies. It’s madness. Walk away, learn to let it go and allow God to bring the truth to light... in His timing. Sure, life may fall apart first. Very much like it did for Pinocchio truthfully. But just as in this fairy tale, this same truth applies to our lives here in the real world. But first and foremost we simply must learn to be ourselves, brave, truthful and unselfish long before we can be real, authentic versions of ourselves. The certainty we hold traveling along through this world is this : The truth will always come to light, eventually anyway. Personally, I love how Pinocchio of ABC’s Once Upon a Time explains this. “I’m a believer and I want to get others to see the light.”  The light is there, my friends. It may be covered up, but nonetheless it’s still there. Find it, hold on to it tightly...and “always let your conscience be your guide.”

“At the end of the day I am at peace because my intentions are good and my heart is pure.”  ~ unknown

~ Merida Grace