Salesmen

A false witness will not go unpunished,

And he who pours out lies will not go free.

Proverbs 19:5

When I first purchased my house, one of the rooms that was going to have to be dealt with sooner or later was the main bathroom.  The problem is not so much the fact that it is dated – although that certainly is a factor.  The trouble is with the previous workmanship.  Obviously the previous owner did everything himself, and the quality of his work is shoddy at best.  Yesterday, in trying yet again to clean the white ceramic wall tile, something began to peel off one of the tiles, and I discovered that he had painted two entire sections with latex paint!  It took me most of the day to remove it.

Today is estimates day.  I have already had one salesman come in, and am waiting for the second one to appear.  I must say, I absolutely hate to deal with salesmen.  They are so self-assured, they talk non-stop, they throw hundreds of facts at you, and then unbelievably high figures.  When I decided to insulate the attic, I had one gentleman (using the word loosely) who quoted me such an outlandish price for my little house, I felt like throwing him out on his ear!  I have been gushed over, lied to, and even had my share of poor quality work after high promises. 

I have a very difficult time with people whose integrity is an ever-shifting commodity. Lies and deception are so commonplace in today’s society, one can be deceived so very easily. Discovering who is telling the truth and who is just handing out a line becomes a matter of research and lots of prayer for God’s guidance.  It is also a lesson for me on the absolute importance of being transparent in my dealings with others.  My integrity is who I am, and to compromise that is to court disaster.