Speak the Truth

It wasn't me, I didn't do it, I didn't say that, I'm innocent, you have the wrong girl...

Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right. Proverbs 20:11 (NLT)

Wouldn't it be nice if we could always take someone at his or her word, especially when it really counted? In a perfect world everyone would own up to his or her actions. You'd be able to trust everything someone said and an innocent person would never ever suffer for the actions of another. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and there are people who simply do not speak the truth.

As a teacher it always amazes and frustrates me when I have two or more angelic looking faces before me and I know one of them is guilty of a crime but of course I hear the words, "It wasn't me Miss McIntosh."
"She did it."
"He did it."
"They did it."
"I didn't do anything!"

Sometimes I am unable to get the guilty party to "fess up" and although I know someone is guilty I have no proof. It's in cases like this that I'm quick to remind my students that although Miss McIntosh may not have seen, God did and they should always try to please him by speaking the truth.

Speak the truth, and speak it ever,
Cost it what it will;
He who hides the wrong he did,
Does the wrong thing still.

To do to others as I would
That they should do to me,
Will make me honest, kind, and good,
As children ought to be.


*I'm not sure who wrote the poem Speak the Truth so I'm unable to give proper credit.

Photo: Religious Education corner of my classroom

This is a edited version of a previous post.