TRUTH AND CLARITY
Early in my pastoral ministry,some trustworthy old Bible teachers taught me a number of vitally important biblical principles.
I share a couple of them with the reader, ere spinning a story which I just received by e-mail.
These principles will reinforce the importance of "getting it right."
Principle # 1. When a partial truth parades as the whole truth, it is, in essence, an absolute untruth.
Principle # 2. Make the message absolutely clear in order that all who hear will also clearly understand.
The following story will serve to remind us of the importance of these governing principles.
"THE STORY"
A group of country neighbors wanted to get together on a regular basis and socialize. As a result, about ten couples formed a dinner club and
agreed to meet for dinner at a different neighbors' house each month.
Of course, the lady of the house was to prepare the meal. When it came time for Jimmy and Susie Brown to have the dinner at their house, like
most women, Susie want to out do all the others and prepare a meal that was the best that any of them had ever 'lapped a lip' over.
A few days before the big event, Susie got out her cookbook and decided to have mushroom smothered steak. When she went to the store to buy some
mushrooms, she found the price for a small can was more than she wanted to pay. She then told her husband, "We aren't going to have mushrooms
because they are too expensive." He said, "Why don't you go down in the pasture and pick some of those mushrooms? There are plenty of them right
in the creek bed." She said, "No, I don't want to do that, because I have heard that wild mushrooms are poison." He then said, "I don't
think so. I see the varmints eating them all the time and it never affected them."
After thinking about this, Susie decided to give this a try, and got in the pickup and went down in the pasture and picked some. She brought the
wild mushrooms back home and washed them, sliced them and diced them to get them ready to go over her smothered steak. Then she went out on the
back porch and got Ol' Spot's (the yard dog) bowl and gave him a double handful. She even put some bacon grease on them to make them tasty.
Ol' Spot didn't slow down until he had eaten every bite.
All morning long, Susie watched him, and the wild mushrooms didn't seem to affect him, so she decided to use them. The meal was a great success,
and Susie had even hired a lady from town to come out and help her serve. She had on a white apron and little cap on her head. It was first
class.
After everyone had finished, they all began to kick back and relax and socialize. The men were visiting and the women started to gossip a bit.
About that time, the lady from town came in from the kitchen and whispered in Susie's ear. She said, "Mrs, Brown, Spot just died."
With this news, Susie went into hysterics. After she finally calmed own, she called the doctor and told him what had happened. The doctor said,
"It's bad, but I think we can take care of it. I will call an ambulance and I will be there as quickly as I can. We'll give everyone enemas and
we will pump out everyone's stomach. Everything will be fine. Just keep them all there and keep them calm.
It wasn't long until they heard the wail of the siren as the ambulance was coming down the road. When they got there, the EMT's got out their
suitcases, syringes, and a stomach pump. The doctor arrived shortly thereafter. One by one, they took each person into the master bedroom,
gave them an enema and pumped out their stomach.
After the last one was finished, the doctor came out and said, "I think everything will be fine now," And he left.
They were all looking peaked sitting around the living room, and about that time, the town lady came in and said, "You know, that fella that ran
over Ol' Spot never even stopped!!".
The Old Hoosier Schoolmaster was right when he said, "A partial truth parading as the whole truth is, in essence, an absolute untruth." Susie
Brown will support that statement.
Lee R. Russell
used by permission