This classic canine cover-up all started when the aforementioned pet owner discovered that her dog had died. The woman, who was from Germany, wanted her pet to be buried in his native Romania. She had adopted her little buddy from a Romanian animal shelter several years earlier.

So, the woman boarded a jet and flew to Bucharest’s Otopeni airport. “Fido” was laid in a crate in the luggage hold.

After arriving in Romania, the woman went to the luggage area to get her dead dog. But something seemingly miraculous occurred.

The dead dog walked out of the crate!

Well, as the startled woman discovered later, it was actually a different dog. Officials at the airport thought her dog had died during the flight from Germany. So they scrambled to find a dog that looked just like hers and placed it in the crate. (When the confused pet owner got over her shock, she decided to adopt the replacement dog.) 

Of course, the airport officials could have avoided a great deal of hassle and embarrassment if they hadn’t attempted their cover-up. Bringing out the dead dog without attempting to conceal its “demise” would have been the best choice.

We all attempt cover-ups at times. Sins, failures, and weaknesses are things we struggle to keep hidden. However, when we try to cover them up, they have a way of not staying buried for long.

The apostle John was not a person to cover things up. In his little letter called 3 John he used the word true once and the word truth six times. He celebrated people who were living in God’s truth. In fact, one good guy named Demetrius was “well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself” (v.12). Definitely not a cover-up candidate.

Truth is important. It reflects on your relationship with others, but more important, on your witness for Jesus.

Are you trying to cover up something today? Give up trying to hide. Let truth guide you as you make the right moves, not dead-wrong decisions. —Tom FeltenREFLECTION• What have I covered up lately—instead of telling the truth?

• How is my relationship with Jesus affected by my cover-ups?

Cover-ups can take you down.
E-mail This To A Friend