My husband, Burt, went deer hunting, and I went to Iowa to spend a few days with our daughter, Shelly, and her family. “I have a surprise just for you and me, so bring something a little dressy to wear,” she said. Mom and daughter time – I love that. My anticipation was fueled with high octane as I drove the four-hour trip. The day splashed with sunshine, but the late fall air felt cold even through my ski jacket.
Monday arrived without a hint to the surprise Shelly had planned for us other than “Des Moines.” After an early supper, I changed into my black jeans and a white silky blouse and touched up my make-up. “Good to go,” I said to my reflection in the mirror. Shelly emerged from her room wearing a black sweater and black dress slacks with a powder blue scarf about her neck.
Once in the car, I started to squirm. “Something’s wrong with my jeans.” “You look fine,” Shelly assured me.
Shelly eased her car along the frozen slushy streets of Des Moines to a parking spot close to a theater. The marque lights blinked, “The Phantom of the Opera.” I looked wide-eyed at my daughter. “You got tickets…?” “Yup!” She beamed a mischievous grin.
When inside the theater, I noticed the women wore long gowns and the men word suits. “No matter,” Shelly said when she noticed my look of chagrin.
About half way through the first act, I leaned over and whispered, “I know what’s wrong with my jeans.” “What?” she asked. “They’re Burt’s.” We looked at each other in the darkness hardly able to contain hysterical laughter. London’s greatest love story lost its drama that night in Des Moines when I realized I was wearing my husband’s low rider jeans with the tail of my blouse hanging out while my ski jacket hung on a coat rack amidst long, chic coats.
Hypocrisy! Suddenly it dawned on me – I was trying to appear to be someone I was not. A Bible verse came to mind that warned against hypocrisy. I gulped. I was like the Pharisee who strained out a gnat and swallowed a camel! (Matthew 23:24)
As a result, I learned in a light-hearted way a serious Biblical truth and warning: do not pretend to be someone you are not.