During my divorce I heard all kinds of ridiculous lies about me from my ex’s inner circle. Listening to them, you would have thought I was a maniacal, substance abusing, child beating, deadbeat. Sometimes, I found myself worrying that the judge might actually believe some of those blatant lies. I was in a custody battle and it was very important I demonstrate that I was the parent best suited to raise the children. Any “black mark” could cause me to lose custody. Ultimately, the fate of my kids rested in the hands of the judge.

Not surprisingly, my custody battle was a time of intense prayer. I would bring the latest lie that was circulating about me to the Lord and cry out for help. The light I consistently got was “Rest in the truth.” If I were to lose custody it was going to be because of the truth and not some trumped up lies. The fight for custody became quite intense and we ended up in court. My ex’s attorney attacked me during my cross examination throwing as many lies at me as he could. I was given the graces I needed to tell the truth, even if it might not have been the most favorable to me. The truth became my nuclear weapon that would vaporize the many lies. God lives in truth, and I was staking my kids future on that. In the end, the truth prevailed and I was awarded custody.

When in a situation where people are telling lies about you, it is normal to become very alarmed. Of course you worry that others might actually believe that stuff. Trust that the truth is your most powerful weapon to combat the lies and will shine a bright light in the darkness of deceit.

Blessed are those
who walk hand in hand
with goodness,
who stand beside virtue,
who sit in the seat of truth;
For their delight is in the Spirit of Love,
and in Love’s heart they dwell
day and night.
They are like trees planted by
streams of water,
that yield fruit in due season,
and their leaves flourish;
And in all that they do, they give life.
The unloving are not so;
they are like dandelions which
the wind blows away.
Turning from the Heart of Love
they will know suffering and pain.
They will be isolated from wisdom;
for Love knows the way of truth,
the way of ignorance will perish.

Psalm 1 from Psalms for Praying, by Nan C. Merrill

Originally posted 2014-05-01 06:00:55.