Honesty Pays

I never cease to be amazed at what our grandchildren come out with. I can’t help feeling that as adults, some of us have lost something on the way and can learn from children.

One morning whilst spending last Christmas with our daughter and family, we visited a local wood. It was a favourite place of ours, ideal for burning off our granddaughters’ excess energy, plus there was also the possibility of finding some holly to supplement the Christmas decorations.

On arrival, our daughter - rather uncharacteristically - told the children they were to pick the holly secretly and not tell anyone.

We looked inside a log cabin that housed wildlife exhibits and made a beeline for a stuffed fox. One of the girls assured me that it was dead and went into a long description how it was done. Not sure I wanted to hear all that! At that moment the ranger came in and immediately the seven-year old asked, “Are we allowed to pick holly?” The ranger replied that it would be OK so long as it was only a little.

It took a little girl to remind us to tell the truth, as honesty always pays!

“Truth is truth, whether it's spoken by the lips of Jesus or Balaam's donkey.” George Macdonald

“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body.” Ephesians 4:25 New International Version