Yesterday I discovered that I was a victim of an elaborate lie.
Last week I briefly blogged about the stillbirth of my daughter (Been there) after I got a phone call from a friend telling me about another woman’s stillbirth. I know the pain my husband and I went through after our daughter died and my heart went out to her. I offered my help and I asked people to pray for her. The truth came out a few days later - this woman faked her pregnancy after an early miscarriage.
I was walking through Atlanta airport when I found out the truth and had to bite my lip hard to keep from screaming. I can not put into words the shock and pain I felt. That was my reaction and I don’t even know this person! I can’t imagine what her husband, family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, etc. are going through. I also can’t imagine the desperation that could justify such an elaborate deception.
It got me thinking about two things: lies and forgiveness.
First, lying is a sin. I don’t know about you, but I often come up with “good” reasons for my lies. A lie is a lie no matter how you dress it up to make it look like it’s the truth. Also, I can usually convince myself that a lie won’t hurt, but this situation is proof that lies can do far-reaching, unintended damage.
Second, forgiveness is necessary. The more I thought about this woman and her deception, my heart went out to her for a different reason. My head was spinning with questions: what would make her concoct such a story? Did she really think that she could get away with it? What will happen to her marriage? Clearly, this woman needs prayer. The hurt she caused me was insignificant compared to the horrible damage she has done to those closest to her. I needed to forgive this woman and pray for her because she is going to need it. She is tangled in a web of lies and only prayer and forgiveness is going to get her out.
“Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” Sir Walter Scott
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