IF I COULD GO BACK IN TIME

Have you ever heard someone say, “I wish I knew then what I know now,” or, “I wish I could go back and live my life over, knowing what I know now?” Maybe you’ve even said something like that yourself. I know I have. I’ve always had a very active imagination, so I’ve imagined countless scenarios about going back in time as I was growing up.

I’ve always loved science fiction. It offers endless possibilities for the mind to wonder. I especially love the concepts of space travel and time travel. Space travel is a little more within our grasp than time travel, but even it has limitations.

I do believe there are other inhabited planets in the billions of galaxies out there, but the chance of us ever reaching them is very small. Time travel is even more impossible, but I’ve found myself wishing I could go back in time on several occasions.

One of my favorite back in time imaginings always involved going back and doing something to make myself rich in the future. I’ve thought of buying some things in the past that I know are worth a lot of money now; Things like comic books, baseball cards, paintings, and other collectibles. I would bring them back with me if I could, but if I couldn’t, I would hide them somewhere that I knew would still be there when I got back, then I would cash in; 

I also thought about changing the past to make the present better, not just for me, but for all my family, and community, our state, and even our whole world. If I could go back in time I would change so much. There are many, many things I would do, but, there are more things that I would NOT do than things I would. There are so many scenarios with the theory of time travel, and so many variables depending on who writes the story, but I would love to go back as I am now and see just what I could do, and what I could change. Maybe even find my younger self and give him some guidance to help him become the man I always wanted to be someday.

After many years of entertaining the idea, I’ve mellowed a bit, and grown some intellectually, and spiritually, and I think if time travel was possible I would do things a bit differently than I had always daydreamed about. Of all my imaginings, I think I would like most to go back to when I was twelve years old and live my life over from there with all the knowledge I now have, including all my memories from the life I have already lived.

Before I tell you what I would do, let me first tell you what I would not do. I would not jump on the tree knot one more time after my grandmother told me to stop, and my leg would not get the skin peeled off the bone from my knee to my foot. I would not take my new basketball to school and it would not get stolen from me. I would say, No, when Arlan asked me to draw the hand with only a middle finger sticking up on his notebook.

I would not grab that tennis racket in math class and clown around behind Mr. Jobe’s desk knocking the light fixture down, and I would not get a paddling because of it. I would do my homework and never copy Lisa’s, and Debbie’s papers. The day I was being chased through the gym, I would not duck and run through the line of girls doing basketball drills. That way, I would not end up unconscious on the floor with a concussion because I ran into the wall and fell and hit my head.

I would not pick up that rat I found in the bathtub one day after church, and I would not get bitten and have to go to the hospital for a tetanus shot. I would not jump off the top of our house and hurt myself. I would not get on that horse at Jamie’s house, so the horse would not run away with me and scare me almost to death. I would not quit school after I turn 16. I would never touch a drop of alcohol, and I would never, ever try drugs even one time.

There are many bad choices I made back then that I would never make if I had the opportunity to choose again with the knowledge I now have. I could go on for pages, talking about the things I would not do, but I won’t. Let me tell you a few of the things I WOULD do if I could go back in time and live my life over.

The first thing I would do, without hesitation, is to fall down on my knees, and ask Jesus to save me, and guide me from that moment on, for the rest of my life. I wasted so many years doing my own thing, my own way and I regret that. The second thing I would do is hug my grandmother, and tell her how much I love her, and from that point on, I would cherish everything she had to say, and I would obey her in whatever she told me, and I would treat her with the respect she truly deserved.

Then I would hug my three sisters and let them know how much I love and respect them, and that I will always love them, no matter what, and that I will always be there to protect them. I would do my very best to be a better example for them than I was. I would go tell my mom and dad that I love and respect them, and I forgive them for everything I was angry at them about. I would let them know I understand why things had to be the way they were. I would tell my Aunt Lee that I love her and I appreciate all she has done to help our grandmother take care of us. Those are the things I would do first.

I would also study more, and do my homework every night. I would read and study the Bible every day. I would spend more time praying and worshiping God and less time with my celebrity idols. I would spend more time helping others and less time satisfying my own selfish desires. I would spend more time telling others what Jesus has done for me, and how much he loves them. I would be a different young man than I was, and I would grow into a young adult that God could use. These are the things I would change if I could go back in time.

The reality of the matter is, I can’t go back in time. I can’t change a single thing that I ever did. “The Past Is The Past,” and “What’s Done Is Done.” The amazing thing is that God forgave me for all those bad things I did and he gave me a clean slate. Yes, I messed it up too, but thankfully, his mercy is new every morning. Each of us has a new opportunity each day to start over and live a better life from that point on. Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive. Search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you“ (Matthew 7:7). John said, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us for our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Remember this if you ever find yourself wishing you could go back and change your past.

Our main focus should not be on the past, but on the future and the glorious gift of eternal life with our creator and savior. That shouldn’t be the reason we serve him, though. We “must be born again” in order to receive that eternal life (John 3:7). When we’re truly born again, we will serve and obey him because we love him. He loves us so much that he died for us, and if we love him, we’ll live for him.

This life will end someday, and I truly believe it won’t be long now. Life is too short to waste, and eternity with Jesus is too precious to miss out on. So please, give your life to him right now. Look to the future, and leave the past in the past.

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LIKE PULLING TEETH

Have you ever had a loose tooth? I think it’s safe to say that everybody has. It’s usually not long until they come out all by themselves. I lost several teeth this way when I was young. I remember being told that if I put them under my pillow the tooth fairy would take them and leave me some money. I did that several times until I finally realized the adults in my family were the tooth fairies.

One day I was at my mom and dad’s and I had a loose tooth. Well, my dad told me I didn’t need to wait for it to come out by itself because I might swallow it. Then I wouldn’t get any money from the tooth fairy. He suggested we tie one end of a string around my tooth and the other end around a doorknob. I was reluctant because I was afraid it would hurt, but I went along with his plan. When we got everything set up and I was just the right distance from the open door, my dad quickly slammed it. As it closed with a thud, my head jerked forward and the string fell to the floor. It didn’t hurt as bad as I thought it was going to. Maybe it didn’t work. Well, that’s what I thought. My dad pulled the string up from the floor and hanging there on the end was my bloody tooth. It did work.

That one was easy, but when I grew up, I had to have a tooth pulled because it was causing me pain. It wasn’t loose, so the dentist had to cut it out. One of my wisdom teeth had grown in wrong and caused the tooth in front of it to develop a cavity, so he had to remove two teeth to get the bad one out. It took him two hours to remove those two teeth. Now, I truly understand the expression, “Like Pulling Teeth.”

Just like my loose tooth that needed to come out, we sometimes have things in our lives that we need to do, but we put them off because we are afraid. We make things hard, “Like Pulling Teeth” that aren’t loose. Many times, we need to just do it and get it over with. Here’s where we fail, and this is what leads to fear. We should always ask God what we need to do first. He needs to be a part of every decision we make, and he will be if we always put him first and always seek to please him.

Too many of us want to be in control of our own lives and do what we want, but then we run to God to fix whatever mess we get into by doing what we want. We make things “like pulling teeth.” Stop, Look, and Listen! God is all-knowing. He has wisdom that we could never have and he does know what’s best for each of us in any given situation. We need to realize that and accept it.

God doesn’t want to be our boss. He wants to be our guide. He wants us to be happy, healthy, and wise. He wants us to prosper. He has plans for each of us. If we follow him, we will not go wrong. Following God is more than just walking the same path behind him, though. The Greek word for FOLLOW means “to be in the same way with,” or “to accompany.” He is right there WITH us on our journey to protect us and guide us.

Talk to God. Communicate with him at all times, not just when you need something. Build your life around him and his word, The Bible. Ask him what you should do, daily, and do what he says and you’ll soon find yourself happy. No, everything won’t be perfect but you’ll make fewer mistakes and bad decisions. Don’t make life hard “like pulling teeth.” Give it all to God and follow him. Life will be better here, and you’ll be able to live with God forever when this life is over. Give it a try. I dare you.

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CARTOONS, DOLLS, AND MOSQUITOES

Have you ever misunderstood something someone said? Have you ever thought you knew something only to find out later that the mental concept you had of it was quite different from the way it actually was? It happens to all of us, especially when we are young.

As you may or may not know, my sister and I lived with our grandmother from the time I was three and she was two. I remember a time in those early years when our grandmother got really sick. I don’t know what was wrong with her, but she was sick enough that she couldn’t take care of us. She couldn’t take care of herself either, so we went to our aunt’s house so she could take care of her. Maybe she had something contagious because they sent us to stay with our mom and dad until she got well. I don’t remember how long we stayed there but it was quite an adventure. I’ll write more about it later, but for this post, I want to focus on just one thing from that time.

They only had one bedroom, so when it was bedtime they slid two recliners together facing each other in the living room, next to our younger sister’s crib, and that was where we slept while we were there. We slept with our grandmother at home so it was a bit scary being away from her, and in a room with no adults to protect us. We kept calling our mother and asking for water and other things. Finally, I remember our dad telling us that if we didn’t go to sleep a big mosquito would crawl through the keyhole and get us.

I pictured a giant mosquito standing upright like the ones in the old cartoons. It was as big as my dad and climbing through the keyhole one limb at a time. That scared me to death because at the time I didn’t know cartoons were not real. I was quite a bit older before I realized that some things on TV were only make-believe. I remember pulling the covers up around my neck, and the next thing I knew it was morning.

Another time my grandmother told us about her mom having twins. She said they were born too early, and they were very small. They only survived a few days before they died. Their names were Mark and Cora. My grandmother said they were so small they both fit on a pillow and they looked like little dolls lying there. Well, being a child and having the mind of a child, I pictured them actually looking like little toy dolls and that’s how I saw them for years.

As I was thinking about these and other times the visual concept that my mind created of something I was being told about, I thought about the Bible. There are so many things in God’s word that we can only imagine as we read. There are things that happened in places we have never seen, and almost as far back as six thousand years. Then there are the things God says will happen in the future. There’s the resurrection, heaven, and the new earth. These things are so far beyond our imagination that anything our simple minds can come up with can’t even be close to what it will actually be like. Look what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:9

1 Corinthians 2:9 
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Now take a look at what God says in Isaiah 55:8-9.

Isaiah 55:8-9 
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Compared to the intelligence of God, the creator of everything that has, or ever will exist, the smartest of us are only children in intellect. There’s no way we can completely understand all these things right now. Like the song says, we can only imagine.

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving. I’d like to take a few minutes to thank everyone who reads my blog. Thank you for making it worthwhile. I love writing, but without you, there would be no reason to put it on the internet. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, and have a happy, happy Thanksgiving.

As many of you have noticed, I haven’t been writing much lately. A lot has been going on in my life for the past year. My daughter got married, and my baby boy turned 18. My dad died after five long months of illness. My sister died after fighting cancer for eight years, and I’m still struggling with my own health issues. With all that has happened, I still have plenty to be thankful for.

God has been so good to me. I’m thankful for all the things he's blessed me with, like my family, our home, a way to make a living, and so many other things, but the things I’m most thankful for are his Love, Mercy, Grace, and forgiveness. I was dead in sin, headed down that wide slippery slope to hell. Then Jesus came and rescued me, and put me on the narrow road to heaven. I’m so thankful he saved me. I love him for that and I want to serve him and tell others how much he loves them.

I want to ask each of you to pray for me and my family, for everyone who reads this blog, and please pray that new readers will find this information and be blessed by it. Thank you again for reading, and again, Happy Thanksgiving. God bless you.

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WHEN DADDY CAME TO VISIT

I was somewhere between three, and five years old, and it was early Autumn. It was cloudy, and dreary outside, so my sister and I were playing inside when we heard a knock on the door. As we wondered who it could be, our grandmother went to see. When she opened the door, there stood our dad. He came in and we ran over to greet him. We asked him where our mother was, and he said, “She’s at home. She don’t know I’m here.” He said, “Get ready, and we’ll go surprise her.” He told my grandmother to get ready, and we would all go to his house for a few days. She quickly gathered everything she thought we would need, and we were ready to go. We all crammed into his black, 1953 Dodge truck, and we were on our way.

When we arrived, my sister and I got out as quickly as we could and ran inside to see our mother and our little sister. Our mom was happy to see us and was glad to hear we were staying a few days. We asked her if she was surprised, and she said yes, and that it was a great surprise.

My dad and uncle went hunting, and we spent some time with our little sister, while our mom and grandmother spent some time together, cooking and talking. Later that evening, after dark, the hunters returned with a dead raccoon. They skinned it and made some sausages. I remember seeing my uncle wearing a Coonskin Cap that night. He probably had it already, but for years, I thought he made the cap that night from that raccoon. That would have been pretty nasty, I’m sure.

In my parent’s house, breakfast always consisted of mackerels, boiled in a bit of water, and biscuits to sop up the soup. It was pretty good. Then there was the “Thickened Gravy” made with chicken-flavored bullion cubes. It was always good, too. Mom and dad would take turns making the Chocolate Gravy, but, no matter which one made it, it was always delicious.

For lunch that day, we got to try the sausages. They tasted pretty good, but I don’t recommend it, since raccoons are scavengers. They’ll eat anything.

My mom always made T-Cakes when we would visit. She would mix it all up, and get it ready to make into cakes, then she would give us a little to eat before she cooked them. It was pretty good, but nothing compared to how good they were after twenty minutes in the oven at three hundred and fifty degrees. She was a pretty good cook, and she made the best iced-tea in the world.

That night, a torrential downpour came. It rained for the longest time. The roof was covered with tin, and we could hear every drop that fell on it. I remember Daddy coming in, soaking wet. As he took off his coat, he said there were small fish falling from the sky. I had no reason to disbelieve him at the time, but when I was older and got to know him better, I thought he might have been joking, when I would think about that night. I never thought to ask him if it really happened, but I do know there have been recorded reports of “Raining Fish” as far back as the 1600s, so I guess it’s possible.

Well, soon the time came to go back home. We were sad we had to leave, but our home was with our grandmother. She was a pretty awesome cook herself. We went back home to our quaint, little house, and resumed life as usual.

I’ve always been thankful for those few days, and for all the other times we got to spend with our parents. Those memories will always be dear to my heart, but I’m so grateful to my grandmother for raising us and taking such good care of us. Our mom and dad were not yet Christians at the time, but our grandmother was. I’m so thankful for the values she taught us, and for introducing us to Jesus. I’m looking forward to the day when Jesus comes and gathers the dead and the living believers, and we can all be together as a family once again. Until then I have my memories.

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MY FIRST CAR

My first car was a slightly used, green, Ford. I don’t think I ever knew what year, or exactly what kind it was. I was just so happy to be getting a car of my own, I don’t even think I asked. I got it from my dad when I was sixteen years old. He and my mom were separated, and he asked me to come to live with him. So I did. He got me a job where he worked, and we got to know each other a little better.

I remember him giving me the keys, along with a speech. I don’t recall what he said, other than something about keeping a check on the oil. I was too excited to pay much attention, and besides, I knew how to drive a car. I had been driving my cousins’ cars for some time. I didn’t think I needed any pointers. It felt so good to have my own car. Now I could go anywhere I wanted, any time I wanted. Freedom at last!

I don’t remember what I said, but I’m sure it wasn’t much more than okay. I wanted to get on the road as soon as possible and get my new adventure started, but I didn’t get far until trouble found me. The oil light came on just a few miles down the road, and that could only mean one thing. The car had to be low on oil. I stopped at the first store I came to. I got a quart of oil and poured it into the engine. I was back on the road in no time, headed to my grandma’s house.

Before I even got to her house, the oil light came on again. So I stopped at another store to get another quart of oil. I was thinking to myself, “I’ve bought an oil drinker.” So, instead of just getting one quart, I bought several, just in case that light came on again when I wasn’t near a store. I put another quart into the engine and took off again. I finally made it to my grandmother’s and visited for a while. Then I was back on the road again.

That light came on several times that day, and I kept pouring oil in and driving, driving, driving. I went to see my cousins, and friends for a while, and I ended up at my other grandmother’s house because she lived close to dad. When I started to leave from there, the car would not start. I tried everything I knew, which wasn’t much, but still, it just wouldn’t start. When the battery was finally drained, and there was no chance of getting it started without help, I walked back to dad’s house and told him the news.

He went and got the car later, and had it running in a couple of days. It turns out that the car wasn’t leaking oil like I thought it was. The problem was the oil light. It would come on sometimes, and stay on until the car was turned off. When it was started back up, it would be off for a while, then come back on later. The car didn’t need any more oil, but I was putting a quart in every time the light came on. Daddy drained the oil out and let me know I had put over a gallon too much in that engine. It had overflowed, and got into the starter, and ruined it. That’s why it wouldn’t start.

Ugghhh! I felt so stupid. My first car and I only got to drive it around for a few hours before I ruined it. I can just hear me now saying to myself, “Why does this always happen to me?” Well, for one thing, I didn’t listen when my dad was trying to tell me about the car, and the oil light. I thought I knew all I needed to know. I found out I didn’t know all I thought I did.

Over the years, I’ve also gotten in trouble several times by not listening to my heavenly Father. How about you? Many of us think we know all we need to know at times, but we need to remember this old phrase, “Father Knows Best.” He has given us clear instructions in his word, the Holy Bible, and he is just a prayer away at all times. He loves us and wants what’s best for us. So, listen closely to what he has to say every day. It will save you a lot of grief later.

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OUR 34 YEAR OLD MIRACLE

A little more than 34 years ago, my wife informed me that she was having strange pains. I was concerned of course, but I didn’t think it was too serious. After all, she was pregnant, and discomfort comes with the territory. Right? Right. It couldn’t be labor pains because she was barely seven months along.

As day turned to night, the pain got worse, so we headed to the hospital, over fifty miles away. When we arrived, we found out it was labor pains, after all. The doctor said it was way too early, and the baby was way too small. He wasn’t due for almost three whole months, so they had to try to stop the labor.

They gave my wife medication for hours, and then hours turned into days. After a few days, the doctor decided he couldn’t stop the labor with the medication. To try any longer could harm the baby if it hadn’t already. He was going to come out.

We knew he was a boy and had already named him Zakary; with that weird spelling. It doesn’t seem that weird to me at all, though. It’s a better way to spell the name than ZACHARY, which I’ve never really liked at all. I guess that’s why I wanted to spell it differently. His mother wanted to name him after Zach from the TV show we loved called Saved By The Bell. She said we could name him Zakary, and call him Zak, which she never did. I got the spelling for the name from a baseball card I had of Zakary Taylor.

For months, we had been anticipating his arrival, and we were so ready to hold him in our arms, but now we were worried; really worried. It’s too early. He’s too small. He may not survive, and if he does, he may have lots of problems.

Wanting to prepare us for the worst, the doctor said, “his lungs are not developed yet. We need to give him a few rounds of steroids to help them develop. Even then, there’s no guarantee. He’ll have to stay in the hospital for a good while. He only weighs about three pounds.”

Frightening news, but we were praying, and begging God to let our son be alright. We knew God could make everything okay. He had so many times before. But, there had also been times I had prayed when things hadn’t gone well, so I was still worried.

After a few more days, and some more steroids, the doctor said he couldn’t hold back the labor any longer. We would just have to deal with whatever problems the baby would have as a result of being premature. So the next step was to go ahead and let him come out, and start working on him to ensure his survival. So, they broke the water, and we waited.

Not long into our wait, the nurses ran into the room and started checking the machines. The machines were working properly. The baby’s heart had stopped. It started back, but his heart rate kept dropping back down. After his heart stopped a second time, they rushed us down to the operating room and began a C-section to get him out as soon as possible. In no time, the doctor had him out and held him up. He was alive and breathing on his own, and he soon let everyone in the room know for sure that his lungs were well-developed. We were so happy to hear him crying.

What a miracle! The premature baby with undeveloped lungs, which the doctor said only weighed three pounds, turned out to have great lungs, and weighed over seven pounds. Praise the Lord! Thank you, Jesus.

As I held my firstborn son in my arms, I was filled with joy and awe. God had given me my heart’s desire; a son. The Bible tells us that children are a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5). That day, that blessing was bestowed on me, and I thanked God for giving me a son.

Today, we're celebrating Zakk’s 34th birthday. That’s over a quarter of a century. It sounds like a long time, but in some ways, it seems like only yesterday when I first looked into the eyes of that beautiful blessing from God. He’s grown into a fine young man, and I’m so proud of him. He reminds me so much of me when I was his age. I love him so much, and I thank God for him, and for the awesome miracle he performed for us 34 years ago.

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FATHER'S DAY

Father’s Day is a special day to spend some extra time with your dad. An excuse to give him something you know he’s been needing or wanting. A special day to tell him again how much you love him and appreciate him. Does that sound about right?

I know plenty of people grow up without a dad, but many dads are there for their children and do a lot for them. They sacrifice a lot to make sure the whole family has the things they need. Things like food and clothing, and a roof over their heads. They help mothers to get the kids to school and to church, and to other places they like to go, like sports events, or a friend’s house.

Dad is there when you’re afraid. When you’re sick, when you need answers to life’s problems, or when you just need a hug. Father’s Day, once a year, gives us an opportunity to say “Thank You” to Dad for all the things he does. How did Father’s Day become so popular?

Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a “Father’s Day” in 1909. She wanted a special day to honor her dad, Civil War veteran, William Smart. His wife had died giving birth to her sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the baby and his other five children alone. After Mrs. Dodd was an adult she remembered all the sacrifices her dad had made while raising her and her siblings all by himself.

The first Father’s Day was observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane Washington. Around the same time, in other towns and cities across America, other people were beginning to celebrate “Father’s Day.” In 1924 President Coolidge supported the idea of a NATIONAL Father’s Day. Finally, in 1966, President Johnson signed a proclamation that declared the 3rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day. *

Father’s Day has been around for a while, and it’s a great time for dads, but it shouldn’t be about what we may get from our sons and daughters on our special day. Jesus said, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.” So Dads, see what you can give your children this Father’s Day. Whether they’re 2 years old, 22, or 42. Give them a hug. Give them some extra time. Play a game. Be sure to give them your undivided attention, not just on this day, but any time they have something to say. That’s very important.

As dads, more often than not, we make mistakes with our children. That’s because we’re human. But our heavenly Father never makes a mistake. He knows what’s best for us. Although we don’t always agree with what He wants for us, we must understand that he still knows what’s best.

On this special day, if your dad is still living, go visit him and spend some time with him. That’s what I did the day I posted this, several years ago. I had no idea that it would be the last Father’s Day I would spend with him. No one lives forever, and the older your dad gets, the greater the chance he may not be here another year. If he lives too far away, be sure to give him a call. Let him know how much you appreciate him. If you don’t have a good relationship with your dad, do all you can to mend it. You’ll be glad you did. Forgiveness is a blessing, and Jesus tells us it’s very important.

The thing is, you don’t have to wait a whole year to do all these nice things for your dad or to get him something or spend time with him. Make time for him all year long. If your dad has passed away, then think about some good times you had with him, then talk to someone about him. Recalling those special times will be a blessing to you and to others as well.

As I said, some people don’t have a dad. Either he was never around, or he has passed away, or maybe you never knew him, but we still have a Father. Our heavenly Father is always there for us. We can have a Father’s Day with him every week. The seventh day Sabbath is a day that God made for us to rest and spend time with him because he loves us and wants to spend time with us.

One last note: In Matthew 23:9, Jesus says, “Do not call any man on earth FATHER because only One is your Father, and he is in heaven.” This is not a popular teaching but it’s the truth. What you do with it is up to you, but always remember your heavenly Father, and be sure to spend the day with him every Sabbath.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father’s_Day_(United_States)

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Updated July 2023

THE KING OF THE HILL LOST HIS THRONE

No matter how good we are at parenting, or how well we train our children, they still disobey sometimes and I was no different when I was young. My grandmother raised me from the time I was three and she was like a mother to me. I remember several times when I didn’t listen to her and bad things happened, but I remember one in particular where I could have died.

I was twelve years old and we had just moved next door to my Mom and Dad. We were in a valley and there were hills all around. My cousins had built some wooden contraptions they called coasters, which were like go-carts without motors. They would pull them up the steep gravel road and ride them back down. They let me ride a couple of times and I was hooked. I had to build one for myself.

When my Grandmother found out we were playing in the road, she said it was too dangerous. We could get hit by a car. So, I found a hill in the woods and made a road there. It was awesome. Everybody LOVED it. It was summer and we were out of school. We spent hours riding down that hill every day. Pulling our coasters up was not an easy job but, the ride down was well worth whatever hardship it took to get back to the top of the hill.

I guess a couple of weeks went by, and I mean fun weeks. It was the most fun I had seen in years. Then one day, out of the blue, one of my cousins had a wreck on his coaster and hurt his ankle really bad. I don’t remember if it broke it or sprained it or what, but he couldn’t walk. Well, my Grandmother, being the good parent she was, banned us from the hill in the woods because now, that was too dangerous.

I knew she was only looking out for us because she didn’t want us to get hurt. I knew the Bible said Children should obey their parents, but I thought to myself, “She’s worried about nothing, I won’t get hurt. I know what my cousin did wrong. I won’t make the same mistake he did.” I tried to convince her, but she put her foot down and gave her final, No.

That didn’t stop me from going back though. It took me a couple of days to get my courage up, but finally, I headed out. I got my coaster and pulled it behind our house and up to where my Mom and Dad’s house would be between me and my Grandmother, so she wouldn’t be able to see me. Then, I cut across a field of honeysuckles and sage grass.

My grandmother couldn’t see me, but God could. I’m so glad he did. I stopped and looked back just in time to see a black, tornado-shaped mass coming up out of the ground. It was a swarm of bumblebees. I was highly allergic to bee stings at the time. One hornet had stung me a few years earlier and caused me a lot of trouble, so all I could think to do was run, and that’s what I did.

As I ran back toward home screaming, I remember getting stung on top of my head first. Then, just as I jumped a ditch, I got stung on my butt. Just when I thought I might get away, they were all over me. I saw my mom and started yelling at her, “They got me, they got me!” She told me to take off my clothes and she sprayed me with the water hose until the bees decided to leave me alone.

When it was all over and I was standing there in my underwear, soaking wet, I had only been stung seven times, but knowing I was allergic, they loaded me up and took me to the emergency room. I don’t remember much about being there, but I know it could have turned out worse than it did. I know I saw a lot more than seven bees come out of that nest, but God was with me and I didn’t die that time.

I wish I could say I never disobeyed again, but that would be a lie. I share more stories about other times I disobeyed in my book series, "THE JOURNEY TO HEAVEN, and INSPIRATION FOR THE JOURNEY. (Link Below) 

Looking back at all the times I didn’t listen and got hurt, or got into some other kind of trouble, I realize just how important it is to obey God. At times we may not understand why he doesn’t want us to do certain things, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore his warnings. We shouldn’t look at God’s commandments as a list of DON’Ts, but as warnings to protect us from harm. God loves us and he wants what’s best for us so we can be safe and happy. We will always go wrong when we do what He tells us not to.

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My Blogs
https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
https://teddylynn.wordpress.com

© 2014 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6