just take your licks

You know that feeling when someone asks you something that you don’t really want them to know, and you have to pick whether or not you are going to tell the truth? That horrible flush hits you, and you immediately feel your pulse speed up a bit. Your face gets hot and your armpits get sweaty. In that moment, you have a decision: choose fear or choose courage. Truth in its very essence is for something to be in its most raw, authentic form. That includes everything- the good, the bad, and the ugly. Our entire lives, we are taught to run from that, to put on our very best face 24/7. My instagram feed is filled with my idealistic life. The life that is unique and polished. The life that has stylish clothes and different poses, cool toned edits and clever captions. While some of that represents my real life, it doesn’t show my whole life in truth. The friendships that went sour over time, the day when I ate so many chips at Chuy’s that my face broke out, the argument with my parents where we all said things we didn’t mean. Those are the aspects that make my authentic and true life. Truth is scary for us. We have to bear the scars and the imperfections that our society makes out to be flaws. I got stuck, the other day, in the classic scenario of getting caught in a lie. I had misspelled the name on a cookie order (@cookies_for_college2017), and I realized I had done it during the process of delivering the cookies. My mom had told me to double check before I did any writing on the cookies, and I, being the know-it-all I am sometimes (ok, a lot of times), blew it off like it was no big deal. The name was “Forest,” how weird can you spell that? One extra “r.” That’s how you spell that. When my mom noticed the misspell after they were delivered, I pretended like I didn’t know. I ran away from truth in fear of what might happen. Little did I know, my mom already knew that I had noticed, but she had given me the choice: fear or courage. Weeks later, my mom told me she knew, and I was so ashamed because I had hurt her and allowed a lie to live. I betrayed her trust for weeks all to avoid the ugly imperfection of my mistake. Some advice my dad gave me after my mom and I talked about it was, “Just take your licks.” Sometimes, we just have to smile and bear the consequences of what we do. It hurts, but then it is over and we can learn from it. We can grow from it. It rarely leaves lasting scars or pain, it is dealt with then and there. It can be handled without too much damage. When we run away in fear and hide behind lies, deep hurts can occur. It takes courage to stand up to your flaws or mistakes, and people recognize that. People respect that. To say, “I am not perfect, I am flawed, and I am sorry” is to humble yourself and broadcast the not-so-photogenic version of who you are, the no-filter version. Truth requires bravery, and that is why we have to run to it in every situation. To tell the truth forms strong aspects of your character that reflect why we need God so desperately. Rejoice in the imperfections, the lies, the bumps, and the bruises. Choose courage. Choose truth.