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The Power of Enlarging Your Steps

Sometimes, as a grandparent, I find myself doing things that I probably shouldn’t do. I suppose it all boils down to love for the kids, but I think back on some of my adventures and suddenly realize that there is no way I would ever do some of the things I’ve done, if not for wanting to spend time with the grand-kids.

One of those questionable adventures occurred a couple of years ago at a local theme park. The kids wanted to play on a rope course designed for children. It was an exciting looking course filled with ropes, rope ladders, wooden beams and all sorts of things that would thrill a kid. Like any good grandparent, I gave them permission to participate and off we went. Only after getting to the entrance was I told the thrilling news that one of my grandchildren was too short to walk on the course without an adult. I certainly couldn’t tell him “no” and allow him to sit and watch his big brother have a blast, so I agreed to walk the course with him.

The course started off fairly easy with simple and easy to navigate paths. As the course progressed, the challenges got harder until eventually I found myself on a single strand of rope several feet above the ground with very little to hold on to. Of course, the kids were far ahead of me. They weren’t waiting for grandpa. After some careful, step-by-step circus work, I was able to cross the more difficult single strand of rope and finish on a wooden platform where I could re-gain my composure. After a few moments of resting, I managed to continue on to the next section of the course which involved much wider, wooden planks; much like a scaffolding or a ramp. This was a piece of cake compared to the single wire I had earlier climbed.

God’s word says in Psalms 18, verse 36 says that HE has enlarged (or made wide) my steps so that I won’t slip. How true this verse is in our everyday Christian lives. God has a way of making things easy when the world views those same things as difficult. God has a way of clearing a path for us when we see no way out. You may be going through one of those times in your life when you feel like you’re walking a single tightrope. Just remember, His Word promises that wider steps and a firm foundation are ahead of you.

Coming Out From Under the Cover of Darkness

Self-Worth

One of the earliest childhood memories I have happened when I was 4 or 5 years old. I’m not really sure exactly how old I was, but I was old enough to know right from wrong and old enough to have conversations with others, so I’m guessing that was about the age.

One particular evening, my Mom had to go to our corner Drugstore for something, I don’t remember what. In those days, it was pretty exciting for me to go to the Drugstore. There was the old-fashioned Soda Fountain that had all the goodies a young child could want, anything from Ice Cream Floats to sandwiches. There were aisles and aisles of toys and candy. You could find kites and coloring books and plastic models and Bit-O-Honeys and Milk Duds. Man, I could spend hours in the store. Of course, I’m sure my Mom couldn’t get me out of there fast enough since I always begged for anything I could get my hands on.

As we were ready to checkout, my Mom was busy talking to the Pharmacist and I was gazing at the wonderful, shiny items that were in the glass display case where I was standing. What really caught my eye was this nifty new flashlight that was just the right size for me. In fact, I was thinking that it was the right size to fit perfectly in my jeans pocket. I was at a crossroads. I really wanted that flashlight. I knew my Mom was not going to buy it for me. Should I, or shouldn’t I?

I took one last look at my Mom who was still talking to the Pharmacist. I justified to my self that I really needed that flashlight and that no one there would really miss it. So, I took it. I grabbed it out of the glass case and stuck it in my pocket. No one knew, or so I thought. I couldn’t wait to get home and checkout my new toy.

We did, finally, get home after what seemed an eternity. It was already my bedtime when we got home, but this time I wasn’t dreading going to bed. I already had my plan laid out. I actually couldn’t wait to hit the hay.

My Mom tucked me in as usual, turned off the light, and went back to our family room. Now was my chance. I took the flashlight from my jeans and hid under the covers so no one could see me and started shining my flashlight. This was pretty cool. Mom thought I was in bed asleep, but I was hiding under the covers playing with my new flashlight that nobody knew I had, except me.

This went on for a few minutes and then it happened. I was busted. My Mom walked by my bedroom and noticed the flashlight shining from underneath the covers. “Where did you get the light?” she asked. Of course, I didn’t have a good excuse. She kept pressing me until I finally cried and admitted that I took the flashlight from the drugstore. I felt terrible. Now, my Mom was going to take me the next day back to the drugstore to give the flashlight back to the Pharmacist and apologize to him. Now, all of a sudden, I wasn’t really looking forward to tomorrow.

The next dreaded day came and I was embarrassed as I gave the flashlight back and apologized to the Pharmacist. He tried to act really firm and important and lecture me on why I shouldn’t have stolen the flashlight, but I knew in my heart I shouldn’t have done it so nothing he said was going to make me feel worse that I already did.

There is an old saying that Character is what you do when nobody is looking. It’s easy to put on a good front and have a good Christian Image, but what do you do when nobody is looking. Sometimes, we think that we can get away with Sin by hiding under the covers and hoping no one notices. Eventually, someone does notice.

Are you leading a Christian Life of true Character, or are you hiding under the covers?

A Parade of God’s Champions

Self-Worth

This trip to my grandmother’s small, middle Georgia Town was supposed to be highlighted by something special this time. At this particular time, my grandmother was the Mayor of the small town, which is another story in and of itself. She had invited my parents and all of us to make a visit on this particular day because the Town was going to have a special Founder’s Day Parade. We were told it was going to be a spectacular event with Marching Bands from the local High School; Fire Trucks and Police Cars from the area; winners of local beauty pageants; and of course the mandatory politicians of which my grandmother, the Mayor, was front and center.

When it was time for the parade, we lined the busy streets of the town anxiously awaiting the parade. Afterall, this was a town of less than 400 people so we wanted to get there early to be able to get a good viewing place on the street. I think I had seen more people at the buildings where I worked in Atlanta than were in the town that day, but it was interesting nonetheless.

After a few moments, you could hear the start of the parade with the sirens blasting from the one Fire Truck and one police car that protected the town. Then came the local High School Marching band which had obviously purchased new uniforms. They actually played terribly but that didn’t seem to matter. Then, of course, came all the politicians led by my grandmother, all doing the proverbial waves to the crowds. After what seemed only 10 or 15 minutes the parade was over.

What impressed me at the time was not the skill of the musicians in the band, or the fact the police and fire truck were not the latest models. It wasn’t that the politicians and others in the parade waved to the crowds any better than anyone else I had ever seen in parades. There was something different with the group. I think it was the pride and confidence of who they were that more than made up for what they lacked in resources. They didn’t care one little bit that I thought they were less than spectacular. They didn’t have the money of big city budgets. They didn’t have the latest equipment. They didn’t have the best of anything; in fact, you could argue that they probably had the worst of everything. Yet, that didn’t seem to matter. They were making the best impression they could (and a strong impression) despite what we would view as limitations.

I’ve used this lesson often in my Christian life. There have been times that I wouldn’t witness to someone because I didn’t think I knew enough about the bible. There were times I wouldn’t stand up for my Christian faith because I didn’t think I was a “polished” enough Christian to make the impression I wanted to make. There have been times in which I was ashamed to admit I was a Christian because my clothes were not the best and I was ashamed of what people may have thought.

As Christians, we have all that we need to make a powerful witness to others. What we have comes from our relationship with Christ and how we exhibit that relationship to others. It doesn’t come from what we wear; where we live; or that we don’t have the latest and greatest Christian witnessing tools that are available. Those in the World that are not Christian want to see Christians that are real.

Those that were in my grandmothers Founders Day parade were real. That’s what made the impression on me and that is what others will see in your life, it you will just allow that to happen.

The Power of Enlarging Your Steps

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