Mr. Nobody

Who did it? Mr. Nobody of course! There have been a series of infractions at our house recently that have not yet had anyone take responsibility for. These have been relatively minor, but the more serious problem is that the perpetrator is not "owning up" to these transgressions. It does not require the deductive skills and forensic expertise of Horatio Crane or Gil Grissom to determine who in fact is the main suspect.

The first offence took place when the Christmas tree went up about a month ago. As the decorations found their way to the branches, it was shaping up quite nicely. Surprisingly however, the decorations began to find their way OFF the branches! Our youngest was trying to "help" decorate the tree. Problem is, these decorations are made out of a glass-like material that shatters when pressure is applied. Thus, when I stepped on a Christmas tree ball it shattered into 4 333 333 shards of lethal weaponry. After cleaning up the mess the conversation with my daughter went like this.

Dad: (calmly) "Karsyn, how did the decorations get on the floor"
Daughter: (innocently) "I don't know, Daddy"
Dad: (slowly, still calm) "hmmm. Well, how did these 7 balls all get hung on the same branch here by the floor"
Daughter: (a feigned innocence with a slight guilty insistence) "I don't know, Daddy"
Dad: (sternly) "Karsyn, you put these here didn't you"
Daughter: (confidently, knowing she's committed and now has to sell it) "No I didn't. It was Mr. Nobody." (as if she's solved the mystery)
Dad: (trying to hide a smile, needing to maintain paternal discipline) "Karsyn, it wasn't Mr. Nobody. A real person moved those. You and I were the only people in here and I did not move it. Did you move these decorations?" (attempting to get the confession for teaching purposes rather than admissible evidence)
Daughter: (past the point of no return, bold face lying) "No Daddy"
Dad: (Very stern, with a slight increase in enunciation, decrease in pace, and increase in volume) "Karsyn, you moved those decorations and now you are lying"
Daughter: (lip quivers, eyes cast down, nose wrinkles, and she is reduced to melting in a pool of her own tears) "whaaaaaaghhhhhh"

There have been several other situations which found the initial finger being pointed Mr. Nobody's way. How convenient that would be in real life wouldn't it? Who did that? - Mr. Nobody! Who didn't do what was supposed to be done? - Mr. Nobody!

We must be people who are willing to take responsibility for our actions - and our inactions. Matt.25:31-46 describes the final judgment. We best take heed of that scripture and these comments from Keith Green in his song, "The Sheep and the Goats": "And my friends, the only difference between the sheep and the goats, according to this scripture, is what they did, and didn't do!!"

Don't blame your mistakes and woulda/shoulda/coulda's on Mr. Nobody. Whatever you do, be a Somebody and make a positive difference with your life!