Louis Pasteur
It was Wednesday. The dogs had a vet appointment after I picked Eva up from school, Charlotte was aggravated all day, I still had supper to fix, and Eva and I to ready for church. Already behind schedule, I was rushing Charlotte into her bath and yelling for Eva to get her shoes and bag and head for the door. Finally realizing why Charlotte was aggravated, she threw up all over the tub and my shirt. Chuck was trying to grab a slippery Charlotte while I got cleaned up and more frustrated.
On the way outside, I yelled at Eva, saying, “I told you to get your stuff and get in the car!” she looked at me fearfully as she scrambled to meet my unattainable demands fast enough. At least I had the satisfaction of telling her what to do.
John Quincy Adams was a devoted student of the Word of God. He was a man of moral and Biblical conviction. John Quincy Adams read through the Bible every year and saw to it that his children understood the importance of doing the same. He tirelessly defended the word of God and stood his ground against slavery, seeing no results. When asked why he didn’t just quit, he responded, “Duty is ours. Results are Gods.”
Integrity does the right thing when no one is looking. Or so we think. What do you deem acceptable when the curtain is drawn, and no one can see?
Noah’s word and stability bared witness that he believed in God. He was the same man each day; he was not perfect, but obedient to God. Because of Noah’s walk with God, his family followed him onto the ark without question.
In contrast, when Lot tried to get his family out of Sodom, he only managed to get his wife and two youngest girls who still lived in his house. Yet, in the end, his wife turned back anyway. I wonder if it was because he lived without deep moral convictions or because he kept pitching his tent closer to Sodom. After all – no one could see inside his tent. What difference did it make? No one has to see inside your tent to know your character. It will reveal itself when the first drop of rain falls from the sky or a fireball.
Driving down the road taking in the sunset and curves the road offered. The trees were a deep green, and the pastures full of grass were ready for haying. I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw Eva staring out as well. I bet her thoughts were not the same as mine. I thought, “And here I am on my way to church so that Eva can learn about God. What kind of example did I just set.” Instantly, I pulled off the road, threw it in the park, turned around to her, and said, “Eva, I need to apologize to you. I snapped at you because I was frustrated with so many things; you were the nearest thing I could control. I was wrong, and I need you to forgive me. As hard as it is to believe, even Mommy messes up sometimes.” She immediately smiled and forgave me.
Christians are not perfect people, but we are the getting back up people.
In the corners of Congress was a young man new to politics who was watching John Quincy Adams, paying close attention to this man’s convictions and standards. When his coffin was carried away, Abraham Lincoln said to himself, “I want to be a man like that. I want to be a man that stands up for what is right.” John Quincy Adams never lived to see slavery abolished. But he left a legacy that cleared the way for freedom- within his family and our country.
What are we doing- when no one is looking?
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