Several weeks ago, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, informed me she would be in St. Augustine with our daughter and granddaughter for spring break.
It was a Monday, and as I was having my morning coffee, when she came into my office and said, “Well, I guess the girls and I will be leaving for the week. I hope you have a good week.”
I put my coffee cup down, looked at her, and said, “What are you talking about? Where are you going?”
“Don’t you remember weeks ago I told you that our daughter, granddaughter and I will be going to St. Augustine for spring break?”
I was stunned and said, “I guess I forgot.”
As she was going out the front door, she said, “Try to behave yourself this week, and most importantly of all, do not get any apple fritters. Remember our agreement?”
I went back to my office and worked until lunchtime.
As I was thinking about my apple fritter, I remembered that in the Publix store where I usually get them, all the workers know Martha. One time when she was away, I got an apple fritter.
When she came home and went to Publix the next time, they all told her I’d bought my favorite treat. How can you buy something behind her back when everybody knows her?
I put a plan together, which was to go across town to a Publix she’d never been to.
I got in my vehicle to drive across town to acquire several apple fritters for the week. I couldn’t help but chuckle and smile as I headed to the store. I couldn’t remember the last time I had an apple fritter, and I was really looking forward to this one.
While driving, I listened to some preacher on the radio. I was enjoying the drive until I realized his sermon that day was on lying.
His sermon was a good one, and as I was driving into the Publix parking lot, I began to think about it. What is a lie?
I knew I could buy as many apple fritters as I wanted, and then take them home. I knew I could put this together so Martha would never know about it.
Then a thought burned into my head. Am I cheating on Martha? Halfway from my vehicle to the store, I stopped. Is it worth lying?
I’m unsure what happened in my heart, but I stopped, turned around, went back to my vehicle, and went home. Not all the apple fritters in the world are worth lying to Martha.
Driving home, I remembered a hymn that had the phrase, “Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin.”
I also thought of a Bible verse.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
— 1 Corinthians 10: 13
Temptations will come, but I do not have to yield.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is [email protected].
