Years ago I read some unusual and humorous explanations for auto accidents. The following are just a few that people submitted to an insurance company:

"I had been driving my car for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had the accident."

"I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment."

"The pedestrian had no idea which direction to go, so I ran over him."

"The telephone pole was approaching fast. I attempted to swerve out of its path when it struck my front end."

"The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him."

"The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth."

These "excuses" may bring a smile, and some were probably meant to. But they also remind us of how prone we are to shade the facts, especially when it works to our advantage. The book of Proverbs tells us that "lying lips are an abomination to the Lord" (12:22).

So let's be careful at all times to speak the truth—and nothing but the truth!

   — Richard De Haan