The Price of Truth

8/17/14

We all want the truth to be played out in our lives.  This concept is a natural one to be fulfilled but when this reality comes along some of us figure out real quick-like that the truth can hurt sometimes and not be the fairy tale that we had hoped it would be.  Sometimes the truth reveals that lies have been told and the resulting information can be devastating.  Telling the truth is one of the more powerful statements that humans can project towards others and should be administered at all times.  We have found that many of the human races have not told the truth about countless items and our faith in humanity has been shaken as a consequence.  As a final result we should understand that there is one who shall never tell a lie and that only He can provide an truthful and exact statement every time and He is the one that we should be following, not mankind.

I usually use historical examples in my articles but this time I am going to use a personal one.  It will be about a portion of my life and how each choice made by a human could, eventually or will have an effect upon others sometime down the road.  Many of you know that I am adopted and this part of my life actually came to be when I was a baby.  For most of my very young life I had no idea that I was adopted and really could not understand it if I was told about it either at that age.  However, what I have learned later in life is that some people around the area that I had lived at that time might have known about my adoption but did not say anything about it.  When the truth came out decades later the pieces fit into place on all sides of the story.  I was so thankful that I really did not have to deal with many of these questions and finger pointing simply because throughout the years of my life my parents were open and honest with me about where my “start” in life actually began.

I am not going to dive into the many details of my adoption process right now, those will come at a later date but I am going to focus on the truth of the entire situation and how it has affected all sides of the situation.  It is the utmost of importance that the truth is told in every situation because one day you never know what will play out and how things will turn when real questions are asked.  It kind of goes along the lines of the following: be sure your sins will find you out.  While I am not going to actually portray this phrase in the article, it does coincide with the topic at hand and should be kept in mind while reading.

I was scrolling through a social networking page the other night and ran across a story about a new law that came into effect and how wonderful it was that these people had access to their records enough to try and locate their birth families.  On the surface this seems quite a step in reconciliation and closure in many lives but when one begins to dive into the past, sometimes the truth does not fan well for everyone.  Many people have hidden the truth for a reason and while the innocent are usually caught in the middle of the issue their lives are at stake just as the original participants of the story.  Some people may not like to hear this type of “negative” comments about this setting but it is the truth and it needs to be heard.

I was so lucky and at the same time I am so thankful and proud that my adoptive parents told me as much as they could about my birth mother and family as they could.  They did not overwhelm me when I was 10 years old with all of the details that they knew about, they gradually informed me about things as I became old enough to understand the entire picture.  I had no inclination of the magnitude about what was occurring on the other side of the story, the one that involved my birth family for they were actually being told or in this case not told, a different story.  This part of my life is exciting to me for it has opened my eyes to many more aspects of the human mind and the human heart that I had not even known existed before.  The truth also helped me cope with some of the shock that I have to admit was there and it also allowed me to pursue things in a slow and cautious manner which has helped me to understand the entire process.

At what cost does telling the truth pay?  Is it a high cost or is it a cheap bargain price that can be easily obtained and then thrown away?  People would like to believe that the prices is a cheap one and that when things get tough or go bad that they can easily toss it aside and move on with their lives.  As all of us has found out this belief I not the case and within our lives it burns to know the truth and at times boils over into our outer shells and displays itself in its own unique manner.  We also come to the conclusion that if the truth was told right from the start things might have played out better in the long run but like every other human being we use our existing circumstances and settings to dictate what we say and do in order to fulfill our own personal desires.

If the truth had been told to my biological family earlier, how would they have handled it?  Would our relationship be any different or would just we be further down the road with our families?  The truth may not always be easy to discuss and to be honest not everyone involved in certain circumstances wants to know the entire truth about what has transpired, but later on it has been proven countless times that the truth always comes out in its own timing.  From the conversations that my brother and one of my sisters have had it was very difficult for them to have not known the truth for almost four decades.  While it was difficult for them they also stated that it did not surprise them given all of the questions and off the wall circumstances that had been presented to them over the years.  They have also stated that they were upset at me for coming into their life at a later time which is a product of them not being told the truth.  All of these statements are ok and honest and they needed to be let out, and think about all of the other questions it has raised in their lives since that time.

Over the years I have said that the truth can hurt sometimes.  It is also agreed upon that not everyone wants to hear the truth especially when the outcome is not good news.  But let us look at it in this aspect, which would be better for the human psyche, the truth upfront or the truth later on down the line?  If a person knows what he / she are up against from the beginning then it is easier to accept the reality of the consequences that follow.  If one chooses to tell a lie or to hide the truth by using another method, what better purpose does it serve other than it eases the current situation?  It all goes back to the days of when we were kids and the baseball was hit through the window of a neighbor’s house.  Most kids simply watched it happen and then took off towards home when they realized what had just occurred.  Ultimately denying that they were ever there, even though many cars slowed down to watch the pick-up game as they passed by.  What good comes out of this?  If you ask my brother and one of my sisters not much; especially when the subject has to do with a major question that involves part of the family.

How has it become so important that we rely on humans the major questions that arise within our lives?  It is easy to turn to a friend who would be sympathetic to the cause at hand or to present it to a group that you know will be accommodating to your specific view.  But once again what good does this do for our inner beings and how will this type of justice affect our long term survival?  When we base our choices and decisions upon flawed intervention it becomes a desperate act that only can provide disaster as a solution.  I am not saying to ignore others and do things on your own but we need to be wise in our counsel and to pick those people who will be honest with ourselves and just not provide the feel good answer we wish to hear.  It is also a must that we continually ask God for direction and help during these times of trouble, for it is His wisdom and guidance that helps us get through each day.  If we are diligent in asking God for His guidance He is faithful and just to provide for us.

If a person is grounded in God’s Word they will know just how the responses are from those who understand God’s Word and from those who do not understand as well.  Truthful priorities come from individuals and present themselves to others whether we realize it or not.  We all want to look good in front of the “camera” and when this time comes along we tend to embellish the situation.  What good does this do?  It is not telling the truth nor is it providing pertinent information to those who might actually have a direct interest in the situation.  God has never and shall never embellish the truth when it comes to anything.  His word is better than gold and it does not matter how much you try and water it down it shall be honest and steadfast.  His Word has stood the test of time and it shall continue this perfect mark as long as God allows us to have a choice in the matter.

In the question of those who are seeking to find the truth concerning their biological family, I encourage you to do so.  But please be aware that the results that you may find might not be what you expect them to be.  People do things for a reason and we all should keep this in mind; however, good luck to each of you and I hope happiness will follow your journey.  For those of you who want the truth about life, I beg you to try God and to allow yourself to establish a relationship with Him.  He is the only one who can provide you with the absolute truth about any question that you have and when you ask, sometimes the answers are quite hilarious.  We need to remember that the word truth itself is a Kingdom word and every time the word truth is used correctly it sheds light upon the darkness.  No wonder our enemy likes to hide it from us so much.

The price of truth can mean utter chaos, it can mean the ultimate tranquil moment or somewhere in between.  Truth can lead to hatred for centuries and it can be linked to the greatest restoration process humanity can ever expect.  All sides of this word have been noticed, carried about, written about, sung and even preached yet we still strive to fulfill that word’s deepest meaning each day.  The price of truth is very high no matter how one looks at it and the price cannot be any higher when it is directly staring you in the face.  Personal truth is just as important as a national truth and each one cannot survive without each being arena being shared.  Lies built upon lies shall fall at some point and eventually the truth stands tall, so why not just build upon the truth instead and save all of te pain and destruction until then?

God shall always tell the truth no matter what your circumstances may be, but also know that it is for your own good and for a better result because no matter what you are going through you do have a future.  The truth can be hard to tell and on the other hand it can be hard to swallow as well.  Truth be told, God loves you and wants to see you live in the truth at all times.  Seek Him and you shall know the truth, seek others and place your trust in humanity and lies will be the fruit of your labors.  We must never forget that truth is a choice no matter what the events present and it is so important that we never forget that God is in the restoration business and it gives Him great joy to see His children living in true freedom!

DLB