I am NOT sorry

I don't remember what my sister did that caused me to retaliate and thus get caught...

But I do remember what happened when I refused to apologize to her. It was one of the few punishments I ever received. (I was a fast learner.)

I remember thinking 

that I did not want to lie

 and say that I was sorry 

because at that point 

.... I wasn't.

 I was angry. 

My sister had done something to me. It wasn't fair. And I was not going to stand there and apologize because she deserved it. I was not guilty.

Isn't this how it is too often? 

We feel that our rights have been violated. 

Our feelings are hurt.

And we want to fight back.

But God says ...

we should turn the other cheek. 

God says 

make every effort to be at peace with everyone. 

That was our parents view of things as well. We were always required to make things right. I can't count the number of times we would say something mean about a sibling. And immediately, we heard Mom say, 

"Now say ten nice things."

Do you know how hard it is to come up with 10 nice things to say about someone with whom you are upset ?" It's tough, but we were not let off the hook.

Ten Nice Things. Woa.

And so there is this war within.

But the truth is

... if we resist evil,it gets easier to do the right thing. 

And doing the right thing causes the tension to ease 

and the next thing you know ...

You are friends again!

I think my parents had the right idea. Because my sister and I are the best of friends. We would be hard pressed think of a time when we didn't get along. And it isn't because we didn't have those times.

You see ... the key is that "Love covers a multitude of sins."

It's a good lesson to take into adulthood.

Reminiscing of being Raised in a Barn,