The woodshed.
It is a place I have often gone. Not willingly, nor with delight, but out of necessity.
You see, I am one who doesn’t always learn from the mistakes of others. Oh no, I seem to be more apt to learn God’s lessons by taking the field trip. Which, I might add, is not always the most pleasant way to learn. It is, however, extremely effective.
You too? Are you a field-tripper? Well, you are in good company right here, friend.
God really prefers that we learn the lessons He offers from His simple instructions. Like a good parent, He gave those instructions for our good.
“Do not lie.”
“Do not covet.”
“Humble yourself before Me.”
“Keep yourself pure.”
“Love Me with all your heart.”
He wants us to be obedient, so that we can enjoy the blessings He offers as a result of our obedience. Like a parent, God’s heart is happy when we obey.
But when we fail to learn His lessons from simple instruction, that is when we require a field trip that includes time in the woodshed.
I learned the importance of obedience in the area of lying many years ago. Be warned: I’m going over my five minute limit with this story from my Legacy Bible study.
One spring day a few years ago, I had promised my young nephew that I would come to his baseball game. My sister told me that the game would be starting at 7:00 pm, which is late for me. I am one of those early-to-bed, early-to-rise folks, and by 7:00 pm I am beginning to wind down for the evening. However, I had promised Parker I would come to his game, and so I went.
Halfway through the game, I decided that probably Parker was so engrossed in his game that he would never notice if I slipped out. After all, I’m not the mom; I’m the aunt. So I packed up my chair and began to make my way out of the crowd. I had to pass the dugout where Parker and his teammates were waiting to bat, and I tried to walk behind some other people and keep my exit hidden from Parker. I was almost past the dugout when I heard Parker yell, “Aunt Leah, where you going?”
I walked over to the dugout, looked directly at Parker and said, “Uncle Greg is waiting on me at home to fix his supper. I need to go. You are playing great. Keep it up. I love you.”
Parker said, “Okay. See ya,” and turned his attention to his ballgame.
Before I could get to my car, a wave of guilt washed over me that threatened to completely engulf me. My husband was at a meeting that night which included a meal. I would not even go near the kitchen when I went home. I had just lied to my nephew in order to justify leaving his game. I was crushed at what I had done. What kind of an example was I? The Holy Spirit convicted me so deeply that I cried all the way home. Satan put his two cents worth into the mix as well. He tried to convince me that Parker would never know that I had lied to him. I reminded Satan that it didn’t matter whether Parker ever knew or not. I knew, and I could not live with knowing that I had lied to him. I had to set a positive example of humility and repentance for my nephew.
Once home, I got down on my knees and asked the Lord to forgive me for lying to Parker. He did, but He also said, “Now, you have to confess what you did to Parker.” I said, “Yes, Lord, I do.”
The next day, I asked my sister to bring Parker to my house after school. I took him aside and said to him, “Parker, do you remember me telling you that the reason I had to leave your game last night was because I had to go home and fix Uncle Greg’s dinner?”
Parker said, “Yes.”
“I lied to you about the reason I left your ballgame early, Parker,” I confessed, with tears flowing down my face. “Uncle Greg was at a meeting, and I did not have to fix his supper. I was just tired and wanted to go home. I am sorry that I lied to you. It was wrong of me, and I hope you will forgive me.”
“That’s okay, Aunt Leah,” Parker replied.
Wanting to make sure he understood the gravity of my sin, I said to him, “No, Parker, it isn’t okay. It is never okay to tell a lie. Never. Please forgive me.”
“I do, Aunt Leah.”
God had said, “Do not lie.”
I had chosen to lie. There consequences to my lying. Painful consequences. The woodshed was a tough place for me that day, but oh, the lesson I learned. A lesson that I will never forget. Today, I can say with the Psalmist that:
It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119:71 (NIV)
What about your, friend? Are you a field-tripper or a classroom learner?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome to Friday! Five Minute Friday! FMF is a glorious time of craziness where a group of bloggers gather around a single word prompt tossed out by Kate Motaung. Want to know more? Want to join us?
Linking up on Wednesday with Jennifer Lee at #TellHisStory.
