SCANDAL

When I was in first grade, I would often walk home with my friend Alan (he was a kindergartener that lived a few houses down the street from me). 

One day on our walk home we stumbled upon some Star Wars figures just LYING THERE ON THE GROUND. There was a sand person, a stormtrooper, and a Darth Vader.

We couldn't believe it, snatched them up, and decided I would keep the sand person while Alan kept the stormtrooper and Darth. BEST. DAY. EVER. 

INVESTIGATION

Later that day my parents noticed me playing with a new Star Wars figure and the conversation went something like this:

My parents: "Where'd you get THAT?!"

Me: "I found it."

My parents: "Where?"

Me: "On the ground."

My parents: "Where on the ground?"

Me: "In a yard."

My parents: "Which yard?"

At that moment that my first grade brain suddenly realized two things:

1) The Star Wars figures we found probably belonged to the kid that lived in the house with the yard where we found them and

2) I was now a robber

What had I done?!? Would the police be coming to get me? 👮 Was I going to go to jail? I started to bawl.

REDEMPTION

My parents directed me to scoop up Alan and return the figures to the house where we found them, which I did.

We knocked on the door handed over all three figures to some grown-up I didn't know, who nonchalantly said, "thank you," and that was that.

When I asked my parents about whether I would have to go to jail, they assured me that because I told the truth, I wasn't in trouble. It was just an honest mistake. In other words......

SUNLIGHT ☀️

How many headlines today describe people getting into trouble not because they do a thing, but because they lie about doing the thing?

How many of us go to outrageous lengths, spending huge amounts of time and energy to create webs of deception and elaborate schemes, just to avoid the possibility of looking bad?

The opportunity: remember that the consequences of the coverup are almost always worse than the scandal itself. 

Got something in your work or life that you're spending a lot of time and energy to cover up? Consider putting some sunlight on that - because there's a good chance it won't be nearly as big a deal as you think, you'll receive grace for your honesty, and it might be the most freeing thing you ever do.

May truth set you free, Eric