“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise…” Ephesians 5:15
7 years ago while on vacation at ‘The Cabin’ in the mountains, my kids presented me with a very nice 4 wheeler. It had been fun and adventurous, until the brakes went out and I backed off the mountain onto the load it was carrying… ME! I brought it home and… it’s been at the shop. Going to pick it up, I discovered… I haven’t learned much!
I borrowed a trailer from my son in law and headed up the highway. Once I got it on the trailer, I needed to strap it down. Unfortunately I forgot I had unloaded the container that held my straps, leaving me with 1 old strap and 1 piece of hearty rope 4’ long! I figured that was plenty!
As I tied a first class hitch onto the ATV’s back, I wondered if it would hold in the event of trouble. Not being an engineer, I assumed it would. But to be sure, I decided to adjust my method of driving… JUST IN CASE! I drove in the right lane, and VERRRRY carefully! When I got to my destination, I unstrapped the strap and started backing off the trailer when I felt a THUMP… and just STOPPED! I had forgotten to untie the rope! BUT… it HAD held!
A friend of mine, almost 20 years my senior, just gave me a book entitled ‘Getting Old Ain’t for Wimps.’ Reading through it I realize the truth, that just about the time when you figure most things out, age introduces forgetfulness. What a hilarious challenge! Thankfully, CAREFULNESS got me to my destination without incident. It’s becoming my new friend!
I remember ‘AIR RAID’ drills in early elementary school. Back then, we actually PRACTICED going into the basement and leaning against the wall, older students hovering over younger ones, JUST IN CASE of an air attack from some foreign nation! Even back then, and just like today, I felt bad for the older ones!
I guess, things haven’t changed as much as I thought. Fear and uncertainty still hang around, dumb stuff still happens, and the world keeps moving with speculation on how long! But I have TODAY’S VERSE! And in light of my latest rope trick, I think I’m going to memorize and put it into practice more often!
How about YOU?
