I wish I'd obeyed!

I was making dinner last and the kids were "helping me." We were having brinner (breakfast for dinner) and I was making pancakes. The kids like to pull a chair up to the counter and help mix the pancake batter. So we did that and then it was time to put the pancakes on the griddle. I warned the kids multiple times of the dangers of the hot griddle and not to touch it. So, I turned around to wash the fresh fruit to put on top of our wheat germ and oats pancakes, and Seth yelped. I turned back around to see him holding his finger with tears welling up in his eyes. He was trying so hard not to let it go because he didn't want me to know he had touched the griddle and burned himself because he knew I would make him leave leave the kitchen. I asked him if he touched the griddle and he said yes and then burst into tears. I put tea tree oil on his finger (it's blistered pretty badly today) and sent him off with his cold boo boo bunny to be with daddy in the other room. He cried and wimpered "I wish I'd obeyed!" I was reminded of a similar occasion in my own past when I was 4 and my mom was nursing my youngest brother. She had put her coffee in the microwave to warm up and the timer had dinged while she was still nursing. I ran to the kitchen to get her coffee out of the microwave (I was "helping"), all the while my mom was yelling at me not to touch the coffee. She just couldn't get the baby detached in time to stop me. I grabbed the hot coffee and started carrying it to her. Some of it spilled over and splashed on my hand and then I started dancing in pain, causing the rest of the coffee to spill over the edges of the mug onto my hands. I remember standing in the bathroom with my hand under cold water, crying, and and wimpering that "I wish I'd obeyed." I still have the burn scar on my thumb to this day.

Why the long stories about childhood burns? Because in each of these instances, the words following the disobedient act struck me. "I wish I'd obeyed." It's simple, childlike, and profound. How many times do we do things, even today, as adults, where the consequences strike us so painfully that the only thing we can think is "I wish I'd obeyed." Obeyed who you might ask? Well, for me, it is God. There are times when I hear the distinct leading and guidance of my heavenly Father and it is then up to me to choose to obey and follow that leading or to disregard it and do my own thing. Sometimes I choose to obey and when time has passed and I am able to see the big picture, I think to myself "Thank God I chose to obey!" And sometimes I make the wrong decision and experience consequences that cause me to wimper in my soul and cry, "I wish I'd obeyed." The thing is, as adults we can tell our children no to touch a hot griddle or to go get boiling hot coffee because we can see clearly what will happen. It's so obvious. And we tell our children the painful consequence that will be experienced if they disobey and it is utterly confusing as to why they will do the exact thing you told them not to do a mere 30 seconds later. It's so simple to just obey! And I think God must feel the same way. He has given us His words in the Bible and he speaks to us personally through his Holy Spirit when we seek Him. He guides us and directs us all the time. He must be absolutely baffled by the shear stupidity of our disobedience. I often hear myself saying to my children, "Why can't you just obey?!" And I think God must be saying the same thing to us sometimes. He has the big picture, we don't. He has the experience and knowledge to direct us away from something that is "hot" and towards things that are good for us. The scar on my thumb will be with me until my dying day. And unfortunately, the scars caused by disobedience can stick with us throughout our lives as well. Whether it be a broken marriage, a stressful home, financial devastation or debt, lost friendships, etc., the scars can run deep and the painful consequences to our sin can reduce us to crying out that "I wish I'd obeyed." Yet, in another shocking twist of stupidity, we often blame other people or even God for the negative consequences in our lives that are caused directly by our own actions. Really, it can be astounding how complicated we can make something so very simple. Just obey.

John 14:21 NIV
"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

So anyways, those are my thoughts for the day. I was thinking about it as I was checking out Seth's burn blister today. ouch! Thought I'd share. =)