Vain imaginations and lying vanities.

Today, my mind goes back to the schoolyard playground where my friends and my enemies met after Christmas break.  It was, Oh So, important to wear something, on that day in January, than no one had seen.  We waited through the school day for recess.  It was the most precious of all the minutes of that day.  The person who had the most gifts under the tree normally was the quietest.  That person knew that their gifts would hush the crowd.  The person who just got what their parents could afford was silent too.  It was our version of Don't Ask/Don't Tell.  The loudest cat in the litter box was the person who got absolutely nothing.  They named game systems, bikes, gym shoes, and boom boxes.  They talked about clothes that was stored for a special occasion and presents so expensive, their was no way their momma was going to let them bring it to school.  All the while, when they were talking, we looked at their clothes and their book bag and their shoes.  It told us the real story.  When we got tired, we challenged the poor child.  It was then that he or she thought we were calling him a liar and those were fighting words.  Sometimes, we took up arms and fought.  Other times, someone else began to show what they got for Christmas.  We all just changed the subject.  Now that I am grown, I find the same scenario.  People sit and say what they will do with a million dollars, but can't manage five bucks.  They say what they are going to do to improve their lives and go home back in front of the same television set.  They set lofty goals that sound good, but the year rolls around and they have absolutely nothing to show for it.  Last year, I proclaimed a 100 pound weight drop.  Now that the end of the year is here, I have about thirty off.  I would be sad, but I can say that I have something to back up my words.  I am definitely not the same person I was last year.  I have a scale to say that I attempted my goal even if I did not meet it.  The shame would have been if the year rolled out and I was just as big as I was last year.  We have to learn that our words mean something.  We have to learn to not just let our words become vain imaginations.  They just can't be lying vanities.  What we were doing on the playground years ago was lying.  God help us all.