Mariama's Day of Lying

I came home from class to find my children playing.  I had told Mariama that she could have gum that morning after she finished breakfast.  When I got home, she asked if she could have some.  I asked her if she had some already and she said, "No."  William chimed in that she had asked the boutique owner for some and he had given her some.  I asked her if this was true and she denied it.  I asked the househelper if she had some, and she showed me where the gum wrapper was.  I questioned Mariama again with two witnesses and evidence against her to give her a chance to tell the truth, she continued to vehemently deny that she had any gum.  After this she was disciplined, because she had lied.

Later that afternoon, we went outside to play.  I reminded Mariama not to go into houses asking for food, especially sugar, which she loves to eat raw.  Shortly thereafter, I heard Mariama yelling, "Wait", in the local language.  I tried to call her to me but got no response, possibly because she could not hear me.  I kept hearing her yelling "Wait!"  I went to check it out.  From inside the house she said she was not eating sugar.  I called her over to me.  She was covered in sugar, all over her face and clothes.  I asked her again about the sugar.  She vehemently denied eating any sugar.  It was apparent she had and likely that the ladies of the house were trying to get her away from the sugar, which is why she was yelling.  I sent her back to our house and gave myself time to cool off before going in to discipline her.

I could not believe that twice in one day she would lie so blatantly with so much evidence against her.  But it got me thinking later about sin in general.  Isn't that the way we all are with a sin we relish?  God sees and knows everything, and yet we act like He has no idea what we have been doing.  Evidence is stacked against us and we are caught with our hand in the cookie jar as it were, and yet we still try to deny our sin.  Why do we do that?  Do we think He does not know?  Are we trying to tell ourselves that we are innocent?  And yet the Father disciplines us to teach us and to make us holy as He is holy, for this is what He calls us to be.