“A good memory is needed once we have lied.” – Pierre Corneille

Growing up, I rarely regarded any event that happened in my life to be something I would later reflect on. There are many things that have happened that I now regard as powerful life lessons, providing insight that would otherwise be non-existent. Though I feel in the Puritan sense that I never regarded these events as being signs for salvation or placed me amongst God’s graces, there is a sense of predestination that seem to occur just at the right moment. Looking back and trying to keep a Puritan state of mind, I remember the first time I told a lie. Sinful yes, but it was the overwhelming sense of regret, pain, and remorse that made me realize what I did as a 4-6 year old (I really don’t remember how old I was) was indeed wrong. At this point in my life, I had never been told not to lie. I’m sure it didn’t occur to my parents that a preschooler would be lying in the first place and looking back on it, I have no idea what compelled me to tell my teacher that I owned every movie ever made. Listing several movies that I had seen on the shelves at WalMart, I knew as I said each one “Godzilla, The Blob, Surf Ninjas…” that I had neither seen nor owned any of them. The pain didn’t settle in until I was tucked in that night and left in the dark to reflect about the lie I had told. It proved too much for my young heart to handle. Within the hour I had ran into my parent’s room with a confession for the ages. Through my tears I managed to explain that I had told a lie and begged for their forgiveness. Though what I’m sure was highly amusing to my parents, was the nightmare of a day I had when I went back to school. As punishment, they made sure I stood up in front of the entire preschool class and confess what I had done. My survival through that seemingly trying time makes me think of the factors that influenced me to lie and subsequently feel bad about it at such a young age. Though I don’t see my confession a plea of forgiveness to God or my apology as a means to aid my heavenly pursuit, It is something that has stuck in my mind and just maybe has profound meaning for the state of my eternal soul.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.