It was summer and relatives were visiting our family. With four teenage boys in their family and six children in our family, we had a lot of fun.
The weather was hot even for June, so we were making good use of our above-ground swimming pool. One day, almost everyone was in a swimming suit except our parents. One of the cousins, Kurt, was standing on the deck deciding if he should jump in or go in slowly when Daddy came up on the deck behind him and gave him a little push. In went Kurt with a yell and a splash!
Now, Kurt wanted to get back at Daddy. He turned and quickly swam back to the deck and climbed out. Not wanting to get pushed in since he was fully dressed, Daddy leaped over the gate to reach the steps leading down from the deck, rather than taking the few extra seconds to open the gate. But as Daddy landed on the wet steps, his foot slipped and down he fell, shoulder first, into the fence surrounding the pool.
Daddy was hurt! The big boys helped him into the house. He had knocked his shoulder out of joint and lay on the floor in terrible pain. It was hard for us children to see him groaning in pain.
Soon Daddy was on his way to the doctor who put his shoulder back into place. The doctor also put Daddy’s arm into a sling, which he had to use for several days. This resulted in the family vacation, which had been planned for the following week, having to be canceled. It was a disappointment not only for Daddy, but for the whole family.
Boys and girls, are you hoping for a “shortcut” to heaven? There aren’t any. There is only one way to heaven — God’s way. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:99I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)). Daddy thought his shortcut was the fastest way to escape from Kurt, but it only ended in pain and disappointment. “There is a way which [seems] right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:1212There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12)).
Messages of God’s Love 4/30/2023