Na-Na-Na-Na Boo Boo By Lisa Piper © All Rights Reserved. On the front of a newspaper was the name of a man who had been busted for drugs and for doing other illegal activity. Unfortunately, his name was the same name as a friend of mine. Someone informed the newspaper that the criminal's name was the same as my friend and that some of its readers needed to know this. The newspaper printed a teeny, tiny statement in the next issue that there were two citizens with that same name and that one was an "alleged" criminal. In another instance, a paper made a mistake by improperly reporting a piece of front-page news. When informed of their mistake, the paper printed a teeny weenie retraction way back in the back of the newspaper. It is interesting to me many forms of media take pleasure and enjoy financial gain by broadcasting the sins, errors and unfortunate circumstances of others. However, they do much to downplay their own errors and when they apologize, it's seldom noticed. I've yet to see a front page headline that reads, "Trashy Gazette! Paper misleads public! Don't trust a word you read!" When I worked in a nursing home, someone accused me of stealing money from a resident. I wasn't there when the "concerned" person blasted my staff with accusations. This crazy woman publicly accused me of stealing like $7. She did this in front of my employees. She sent word to me through my staff that I'd better get my act together and she would "TALK" to me later. She obtained the number of my supervisor so she could report my $7 misdemeanor. When I returned from lunch, my employees were upset. They were embarrassed and I'm sure they wondered what I had done. Later, the accuser called the facility and told my employee that answered the telephone, "I think I made a mistake. Don't worry about what I said. I found the money." My employee gave me the message. I called my accuser and inquired about the error. She said, "Well, I made a mistake in the accounting. I'm sorry. I just got upset before I took time to think about it. I realized it when I got into my car but I was too embarrassed to come back in. I called the charge person and let her know that I made a mistake." I would have told her it was okay, but I felt like this woman needed some instruction and correction. I said softly, "You publicly accused me of messing with this money. You publicly accused me and then privately apologized. How do you think I look to my staff and to those who heard you?" For the price of 3 big macs, she tainted my reputation. She wanted grace when she made an error, but wanted to broadcast mine. (Acts16:16-40) When Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison, they began to worship. Suddenly, their chains fell off and the prison doors opened at midnight. Paul and Silas won the jail keeper to the Lord but did not leave the prison. When it was daylight, those who put Paul and Silas in the prison told the jail keeper to let them out. I love Paul's response. Paul said, "They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? Nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out." Now that takes some guts! When the magistrates heard Paul's response, they became fearful that they had beaten and imprisoned a Roman citizen and went to Paul and Silas and asked them to leave the jail and the city. The chief priests wanted Jesus crucified publicly. In St. Luke 22:52,53, Jesus says to them that they were coming after him likes thieves in the night and in secret. He reminds them that he was daily with them in the temple, but they wouldn't go after him in public. Their sin was done in secret. They accused Jesus publicly of disobeying the law, yet they followed not their own laws when they went after Jesus like they did. Proverbs 11:9 "An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor; but through knowledge shall the just be delivered." I remember a man who publicly dishonored my father. The pain my parents suffered was horrible. My mom and dad grew spiritually from this situation, but it took awhile to absorb the shock of what was done to them. A couple of years later, the man called my dad and apologized. My dad forgave him, but the damage was done. Much of it could have been undone if the man would have forgiven him publicly. After all, the man had accused my dad of things that should have never been said. He picked apart my dad's character it in the stores, on the telephone; in the church…he said it EVERYWHERE! But how did he apologize? In private. I guess there are a million stories of this. I know a woman who was nearly destroyed by the media, yet now that she is victorious, there are no reporters at her door. There are no special reports of how God has turned her life into a fruitful example of His grace and mercy. As I am writing this, I am wondering, "Why is the Lord bringing these things to my mind? Is there someone whom I have wronged and I don't need to just apologize, but I need to do it publicly? I guess it could be. I have done my share of gossiping. Just like learning the lesson not to touch a hot stove, perhaps all gossipers would think twice about devouring others if they knew they would have to stand the trial of a public apology. I am committed to being obedient to the Lord. If He doesn't bring something to my remembrance, I guess I'll keep it for future reference and GUARD my MOUTH! My prayer for today: "Lord, help me to deliver words of encouragement, healing and grace to those with whom I come into contact. Help me to take responsibility for my own actions and to repent quickly when I do wrong. Create in me a clean heart. I never want to exploit the faults of others while exhalting my own. Help me to keep a balance and to treat others as I want to be treated. Thank you for teaching me this lesson. I know that you could require me to apologize publicly and that would not be fun, so help me to be nice even when I don't want to. I love you and thank you for publicly taking on my sins and for exposing yourself so that my faults could be covered in your blood. In Jesus' excellent name. Amen!"