Yippee, it’s Saturday morning and a very balmy 36 degrees. One forecast predicts the high will be 32 degrees on Tuesday with a chance of snow. If you are a fan of cold weather then congratulations. If you are like me, grin and bear it.
The other day I was driving down Quivira and saw something a bit surprising. There was a utility contractor driving one of those bucket trucks with its hazard lights on. They were working in the area, apparently going from one light pole to another. What made this unusual was that there was a person riding in the bucket, which was extended above the cab of the truck, while it was driving. There was also another worker sitting on the back bumper of the truck. I am quite confident that this is mentioned in the manufacturers recommendations as something not to do. It is probably spelled out clearly in the company’s policies and procedures as a safety violation. Nevertheless, there they were, cruising on Quivira, saving a couple of minutes by not following the rules. I watched as they turned into a parking lot. Before they had slowed down much, the man on the back bumper jumped off of the moving truck, worked to maintain his balance, and then proceeded to a nearby truck. As I continued on my journey, I thought about what I had just seen. I also reflected back a bit on my many years in the construction industry, the building and renovation projects I worked on for the church, mission trips where we worked on a variety of construction projects, and my home renovations. I realized that I am lucky to be alive. Time doesn’t permit me to write of the nearly endless times when we pushed the limits of good sense to get something accomplished. Climbing on the beams over the sanctuary in Empalme, using a ladder placed in a wheelbarrow for extra height, scaffolding made out of scrap material, a ladder in Romania made with tree branches, standing the back of a dump truck guiding a two-ton slab of concrete into place, etc., etc., etc. Every once in a while, someone will post a picture on social media with a caption such as “why women live longer than men.” It is usually a picture of a guy or two doing something dangerous. Often it involves a ladder, electricity, or the demolition of something in a non-professional manner. What makes them so funny to everyone is that the picture provides evidence that people do dumb things. What is scary is when you can identify with what they are trying to accomplish and their creativity in trying to get the task completed. Been there, done that, and lived to tell about it.
As Pastor Steve often said, “We are all just one step from stupid.” This can be true in our attempts at projects, but is also true in our spiritual walk as well. It is not like we don’t know the right things to do. Most of that is very basic and completely obvious. And yet, we are tempted to compromise a little here, to disregard the safeguards that are in place, or to simply do something we know to be wrong. Just like the things I mentioned earlier could have caused physical harm or even death, our foolishness in spiritual matters can cause serious damage as well. The obvious solution is to do our best to avoid doing dumb things. That is why we must continue to be in God’s Word, in prayer, in fellowship with other believers. These are the types of things that provide us with a safety net. It is when we start avoiding or ignoring these that we will find ourselves in the danger zone.
The word for today is this: don’t do anything stupid.
The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty (Proverbs 22:3).
12Who perceives his unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
13 Moreover, keep Your servant from willful sins;
do not let them rule over me.
Then I will be innocent
and cleansed from blatant rebellion.
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to You,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
(Psalm 19:12-14)
Love God. Love others. Impact our community. Change the world.
Pastor Larry
0 Comments