Psalm 25:3
No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I wasn’t going to tell you this… but…I guess this is as good a time as any for the “Christmas Bicycle” story. I’m guessing my brother was about 8 years old the Christmas he asked for a “real bicycle”. You see, the only bicycle he had ever owned was a second-hand, cobbled-up affair that someone had fixed for him, and he wanted a “Stingray” bicycle with the banana seat and all the trimmings. He was positive that Santa Claus… a.k.a. Mom and Dad… would bring him this bicycle. That was all he talked about… for weeks. “When I get my bicycle”… or “Santa is bringing me a bicycle”… or “I will do this or that on my new bicycle.” My sister and I… older than he by 3 and 4 years… were ready to gag. When Tim got on a run about something like that, he would NOT let it go!
We always spent Christmas Eve at the farm with my grandparents… my Mam-ma Polly and Pap-pa Truman. That year, Tim got a cassette tape recorder from them. But all the way home, he talked about the bicycle he would get the next morning. So my sister and I asked to “borrow” the tape recorder, and we made little bedtime recording for Tim. We told him that there was not enough money to get him the bicycle he wanted. We explained that Mom and Dad had bought a wig for my sister Suzanne, and I don’t remember what they got me, but when they finished paying for those items, there just was not enough money for the bike. We asked him to “buck up”… to try not to be upset… to essentially be a sore loser and give the bicycle nonsense a rest!
We delivered the tape recording to Tim and said, “Listen to this!”… and then we returned to our room. Soon, we heard crying. Our little brother was Devastated (and yes, I meant to use a capital “D”!). He was so heartbroken, and we were immediately sorry that we had done this. We tried and tried to convince him that it was a joke… that we made it all up… that he WAS getting a bicycle for Christmas. But the damage was done.
The next morning, Tim was one sad little boy as he dragged himself into the living room. Mom and Dad tried to coax him to look out the dining room window onto the patio. They told him that “Santa” had left something there for him. He did not seem the least bit enthused… and of course, my parents were totally baffled by his behavior. So my sister and I had to confess. Then we threw open the curtain and revealed the shiny new bike, and Tim was beyond excited again. But Suzanne and I were not nearly as jubilant… and our parents were even less thrilled with us!
To this day, the “Christmas Bicycle Story” is a situation that makes us groan. How could we have been so deceptive and so cruel? Even given how annoying our little brother could be, that was an awful thing to do to him. But Tim, being “Tim” forgave us over and again through the years and offered both of us more grace for that incident - and other times we blamed Little Brother for our own misdeeds - than either of us deserved. To say that we are ashamed and disgraced by our behavior would be a major understatement… but we take comfort in knowing that we truly were forgiven.
I have said many times that even when nobody discovers your wrongdoings… God knows about them. Even if you seem to “skate by” with transgressions, deceptions and lies…God knows the truth. I don’t know about you, but the one thing I cannot bear to face is the thought that I might stand before God in disgrace. Thankfully, I don’t have to. I have given Him my heart and soul… I have invited Jesus to be the LORD of my life and to fill my heart with His Holy Spirit. I have been forgiven and offered unending love, grace and mercy. And while this is not a license to lie, cheat and steal, I know that if/when I do falter (because we are human and will have our moments), God will pick me up, dust me off, and set me upright again.
Because of all of this, I have hope. I will do my very best never to operate in deceit… and certainly I will make every effort not to disgrace myself… much less God. I will thank Him every day for His forgiveness and unconditional love and care. And I will live expectantly…anticipating the day when I will not only be able to share a laugh again about the “Christmas Bicycle” with my brother… but also to receive another hug of forgiveness from him.
Best of all, I will enjoy the glory and wonderment of God’s presence face-to-face… and that will be the best “Christmas” present ever! Are you hoping for… and expecting the same?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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