Mark G. White
Director and Earnest W. Deavenport, Jr. Endowed Chair
Mississippi State University
[Nov. 16, 2009] —
Several years ago, I had a remarkable office visit.
A former student who had graduated more than a decade earlier from my prior university stopped by. He wanted to tell me about his life since graduating, and I wanted to hear all about it.
His career path was like so many others. He left us to begin an excellent job and with great opportunities for the future. He was successfully promoted several times and was also married to a wonderful woman whom he had met at his new location. In time they became the parents of several children who were healthy and smart. He and his wife had joined a local church which they attended together.
His Face Was Almost Ashen
As he continued to talk, I noticed a change in his countenance as he talked about his efforts to train his children how to do the right things, how to tell the truth and always be honest. By this time, his face was almost ashen.
He said: “Dr. White, there is something I want to tell you.”
He paused, and with the greatest of difficulty told me how he had looked on another student’s paper on the third test of the quarter because he was stuck on a problem. It was clear that the weight of his action was still pressing firmly on his mind.
He said that every time he told his children to be honest, all he could think about was this cheating incident. He knew that his testimony was not a true one because he had not confessed to me his sin of cheating. He wanted me to know about this action and he asked for forgiveness. In addition, he was prepared to repeat the course so as to clear his record and his conscience.
Needless to say I was speechless for some time. He had made this trip to my university just to tell me that he had cheated.
Then I realized : here was a perfect moment to show the fullness of God’s grace!
The Weight Of Guilt
I first praised him for having the courage to admit his guilt. I told him that it was an unusual person to admit to such conduct after such a long time. I explained that administratively, there was nothing that I could do about the cheating, and what was more important, there was nothing else I should do.
God had already forgiven him and there was nothing left for me to do. But, I did ask him to forgive himself. When he heard my response, his face shone with excitement.
The weight of years of guilt had been lifted from his shoulders by the Lord. He could now share with his children a true testimony of right and wrong, guilt and innocence, honest and dishonesty, confession and forgiveness.
We continued to talk for some time and then he left. Free.
© 2009 Mark G. White