Promises, Promises
“But Daddy, you promised!”
These four words strike terror in my heart. Usually the conversation they refer to goes something like this.
“Hey Daddy, would you like to get some Ice Cream?” Or, “Daddy, can we go to the mall sometime?” Of course, I say, “Sure, that sounds like fun, we’ll do that sometime.”
My children never forget a “Yes,” to a “Can we” question.
They forget to clean their room.
They forget to do their homework.
They forget to do their chores.
But they never forget a “Yes,” to a “Can we” question.
What I meant as a noncommital, let’s-get-around-to-it kind of answer, they take as a written-in-stone, we’ll-definitely-do-it commitment.
I’ve learned to be careful how I answer those questions now. Instead of giving a positive answer to any request, I say “We’ll see.” I hated it when my parents said, “We’ll see,” almost as much as they hated me saying “But, you promised” when I was a kid.
It is one thing not to keep a promise that I really didn’t make, and another thing to break a promise. I was raised to believe people’s words are their bonds, but I’m not sure I believe it anymore.
Are you surprised when a politician lies, or when someone has an affair? Is there anyone who will keep their promises today? How about you? How about me?
Jim L. Wilson, Fresh Start Devotionals (Fresno, CA: Willow City Press, 2009).
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