"The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment." (Prov. 12:19)

Rosalie Elliott had made it to the fourth round of a national spelling contest in Washington. The 11-year-old from South Carolina had been asked to spell the word 'avowal'. In her soft southern accent she spelled the word, but the judges were not able to determine if she had used an 'a' or an 'e' as the next to the last letter. They debated among themselves for several minutes as they listened to tape recording play backs. The crucial letter, however, was too accent-blurred to decipher. Finally, the chief judge put the question to the only person who knew the answer. "Was the letter an 'a' or was it an 'e'?" he asked Rosalie. By this time, being surrounded by whispering young spellers, Rosalie knew the correct spelling of the word. Still, without hesitation, she replied that she had misspelled the word and she walked from the stage. The entire audience stood and applauded, including some fifty newspaper reporters. Even in defeat, she was a victor. Indeed, more has been written about Rosalie Elliott over the years than about the "unknown" winner of the event! Being a person of truth, even when it is against us, will bring great honor. (From God's Little Devotional Book For Men, p. 19)

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