Be Good

One of my favorite stories my husband tells about his childhood is his "be good" story.  The best part is the irony of the situation.

Matt was known to cause mischief as a child. I mean who doesn't, but I've heard people recount stories of little Matthew and bless his heart, he was a handful at times. I don't think I 'm saying anything he wouldn't agree with because he has shared his memories and some are doozies, let me tell you!

Anyhow, back to the story. Little Matthew kept getting himself into mischief. Now I don't know the specifics, but the mind can only wonder what mischief he was up to. According to Matthew, he kept hearing the phrase "be good, be good, be good!" Well, little Matthew took it to be an important phrase that he should remember.

I don't know about y'all but I can' remember anything without writing it down. Little Matthew must've felt the same way too because that's just what he did. He wrote it down. To be exact, he wrote it down with permanent marker just to make sure it wouldn't be erased. 

The only problem was where he decided to write his notes in an effort to remember to "be good." You see, he chose to write his notes in permanent marker on the baseboards in the house, on the door frames in the house, and on his closet door in the house. 

When I first heard this story, although it was funny, Matt is always pulling my leg I thought he might be joking. That is until I went to his house and saw the infamous "be good" writing on the back of his closet door.

Oh the irony. All the while little Matthew was just trying to be good and yet he was far from being good according to adult standards. Now, I'm just on the outside looking in; I know the story is true but why he did it only he knows, but I can definitely say I relate.

Have you ever tried hard to please and then it blow up in your face?  Thinking what you're doing is just the thing that should be done to make everyone proud of you? That this action will fix it all and make everyone happy?

Be good and everyone will like you

Be good and everyone will appreciate you

Be good and everyone will praise you

Be good and everyone will encourage you

Be good and everyone will understand you

Too busy trying to be good, forgetting the truth that lies beneath it all.

The truth is..

 if you be good some still will dislike you

and if you be good some still will not appreciate you

and if you be good some still will not praise you

and if you be good some still will discourage you

and if you be good some still will misunderstand you

The good news is that it is okay. And the reason that it's okay is because of Jesus.

With love,

Tori