The Right Way

“And your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.”
~ Isaiah 30:21 (NAS)

“Jacob, be careful!” “Jacob stay behind Papa. Don’t ride off the edge of the road.”

It was a beautiful afternoon, and we were on a bike ride with our grandchildren. It was especially fun for Jacob, our six year old grandson, because his bike had been out of commission for weeks and this was his first ride in a long time.

Jacob is a sweet, energetic, fun-loving little boy. He runs through life with reckless abandon. The rest of us prudently try to stay out of the way. He tends to leave a bit of “carnage” in his wake. He rides his bicycle with that same reckless abandon – in spite of having been told countless times to be careful. We fear for his safety as well as his poor little bike’s well-being.

True to form he had blown a tire weeks before while coming to a screeching stop after racing down their long driveway. Since he had been warned repeatedly about this particular maneuver, his bike was taken away.

The week we came to baby-sit, my husband asked if it would be all right to put a new tire on Jacob’s bike. We had brought our bikes with us and were hoping to take rides with all the kids. Permission was granted and before long Jacob was back in business.

With specific instructions to ride carefully on the side of the subdivision roads we set off (I neglected to mention that during a previous visit Jacob ran Papa off the road and into the stickers thus rendering the tire on Papa’s bike completely flat. He was just having fun and trying to beat Papa around the turn. He just gets a bit carried away 🙂 .

All went well for the first several blocks. Then Jacob decided that this ride was entirely too tame. He began to ride off the edge of the road and jump the little driveway curbs as we rode by. We all told him to stop, but he didn’t listen. He just seemed to go faster. Speeding down the road he swerved into the grass and proceeded to jump the curb of the next driveway. This particular curb was a good bit higher than the others had been. I was riding behind him and could see it took him by surprise. We hadn’t gone more than a few feet before his front tire started to go flat.

My husband called out to him to stop right away, but he just continued to pedal as fast as he could on his flat tire. Before we could catch up to him, he had bent the rim of the wheel and taken a tumble onto the road. A total disaster. His bike was ruined and he had scraped knees and elbows.

It was hardly necessary to say anything to him. He didn’t even cry. I think he was too ashamed. He hadn’t obeyed the voice of authority and now he would suffer the consequences. Needless to say, the bike was put away for a long time.

I’ve thought about that incident so often since then. Jacob is just a little boy. He will learn in time that disobedience is never worth the price. I am all grown up and am still having to learn that lesson.

I wonder why it is that there are times I still persist in doing things my way. Instead of calling it disobedience, I rationalize my behavior. I know what the Lord has told me, but I just want to try it my way first.

It may be something as simple as talking about someone else. I know very well the Lord doesn’t want me to do it, but I can justify it in so many ways. I’m just telling one person. I’m just saying it so we can pray about it. Who can know the damage just “sharing” that sort of talk can do?

I know You spoke to me about reading this kind of stuff Lord, but I can handle it. There’s really an important “message” to be gleaned from this story. Inevitably I am left with a mind filled with images I wish I could somehow wash away.

I, just like my precious little grandson, need to understand that the Lord calls me to obedience for my own good. He isn’t trying to ruin my fun. He is trying to keep me safe and give me a life that is filled with His goodness and blessing.

“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
~Proverbs 14:12 (NAS)

Father I pray that You will give me grace and strength to walk in obedience to Your Word.

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