Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDLXXVII

I've heard it said if nobody sees you eating it, it won't make you fat. Really? If that be the case, I should probably eat every meal in secret until I lose a few pounds, and from that point on, only eat lettuce and tuna in public. Sure, I know the person who said that was just kidding, but do we sometimes actually believe in that principle? No, I don't sneak around to eat anything, although I know a few people who do, and it shows. No doubt each one of us would be quick to say we really don't believe that statement, but how many of us apply that same logic to other areas of our lives? It's like we're saying, "I know this could be harmful to me, so I'm gonna make sure no one ever knows what I'm doing." This is not the first time I've used this analogy, but how many of you remember the book and the outdoor drama in Branson, Missouri called "Shepherd of the Hills?" Sammie Lane was a beautiful young woman whose primary goal in life was to be a "sure enough lady." She looked at Old Matt as a sure enough gentleman, and Aunt Molly as a sure enough lady, and she did her best to mimic their lifestyles. How does one qualify to bear the title as a sure enough gentleman or a sure enough lady? Let's take a look at some of the qualities required for that honor. Looking at a sure enough gentleman or lady, we'll see honesty, integrity, reliability, trustworthiness, selflessness, and the one I want to zero in on today, genuineness. That means if I'm a sure enough gentleman, the man you see is who I am, even when I'm alone. If I'm a different individual when I'm around my co-workers or the guys in the hunting club than I am when I'm with my friends from church, then I'm not genuine and don't qualify as a sure enough gentleman. If I have a secret life no one else knows about, I'm not genuine. Instead, I'm what's known as a hypocrite, and the problem with my hypocrisy is eventually others will begin to figure out the real me. I wish I could say I've always lived up to the principles of a sure enough gentleman, yet there have been times when I've had some secrets I didn't want exposed, but the good thing about it is, even if I'm falling short today, it's never too late to make an about face and actually become the man I pretend to be. You see, if I only eat lettuce and tuna in public, but I'm secretly eating cake and ice cream every night just before going to bed, it WILL make me fat, and others will notice. If you and I are hypocrites, people will figure it out. If we're "sure enough" ladies and gentlemen, they'll figure that out too. Preston