Small to Serious in Seconds

My husband has been watching these funny boat-fail videos lately on YouTube. He was sure I would be in one of them. The hubs and I spent the day at the lake with our kiddos not too many years ago. At the end of the day, we returned to the dock to load the boat. Back then, we had a very used pontoon. There were better-looking boats on the lake than this one, for sure. But it was perfect for us. In fact, out of all the boats we have had over the years, the old blue pontoon was my favorite. One reason was that everyone had space to stretch out! 

The good ole pontoon was not a speed boat, which was good for me because it gave me time to think about how to turn it. I drove the boat to the dock and let my husband off to retrieve the truck and trailer. All I was supposed to do was back it up and drift in the water a little from the dock until he had the trailer backed into the water. Then, I would slowly drive the boat on the trailer, guided by his directions. He would latch it, and off we would go. Did you catch the word “all” that I said earlier? All I had to do was blah, blah, blah. 

Would you agree that life can go from small to serious in seconds? See, this old grandfatherly dude was standing on the dock. “Pull that boat up here, honey. I’ll hold it for you,” he said. Three times I told him I was okay. Three times! Finally, I gave in, thinking, “Well, if he wants to hold the boat, I’ll let the man hold it. I mean, what can it hurt?”

Sounds like a small, simple task, right? Never is anything small and simple in my world! As I drove the boat up to the dock, I slipped and bumped the boat’s throttle. Well, I didn’t barely bump it; I hit it hard enough that it went full throttle. It happened with just a small distance between the boat and the dock. That boat accelerated at what felt like a very fast speed in a very short space. 

I grabbed for the throttle, but I missed it. By the time I recovered and got my hand on the throttle, the kids and I had hit the dock wide open. We hit the dock so hard that it knocked us back. I desperately tried to slow the boat down and get it away from the dock. But, in doing so, I drove it right over the concrete ramp of the dock in the next bay. All the commotion sounded like the cruise ship that ran into the town in the movie Speed 2: Cruise Control, and it even resembled it somewhat. People were running everywhere, and some were yelling. But, you know what I never saw again? The old dude who had yelled, “Honey, let me help you.” He helped me all right. He helped me destroy a boat and two docks! 

When my husband returned with the truck and trailer, he was oblivious to what had happened. I was so traumatized by then that I refused to pull the boat up to the dock. My husband stood on the end of the dock motioning for me to come in, but all I could do was cry and tell him to swim to us! Finally, not sure which kid took charge, but one of them did, and they drove the boat up to the dock. Then, of course, they had to relay every detail to their daddy of how mom took out two docks, destroyed the boat, and several people were probably assumed dead or at the least missing by the end of it—those stinking little tattle-tails. 

Like most of the mayhem in my life, it’s funny to look back on now, but it certainly wasn’t in the moment. And so much of it happened within seconds. I think about Adam and Eve and how things went awry in just seconds for them. Either they needed a plan on how to avoid the tree, or they needed reinforced strength from God to obey His will. Let’s talk about planning for a second. I’m a teacher so I plan everything! Trust me when I say middle schoolers can smell a teacher with no plan, and those sweet, little humans become instant vultures. I wonder if satan knew Eve didn’t have a plan to keep herself accountable and distant from the one thing she wasn’t supposed to have. Can satan smell (sense) our fears, disbelief, sorrow, regret, loneliness, etc., and use it for his benefit? He absolutely can.  

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves,” (Genesis 3:1-7).

In my version of this story, I see Eve strolling through the most gorgeous of gorgeous gardens ever. She must have been completely awestruck. I imagine the smell of fragrant blossoms and blooms in the air, the trickling of a nearby stream, and trees bowing to the ground with abundant organic fruit. Talk about the best of the best fruits. She, for sure, wasn’t buying her fruits at Aldi like me because she couldn’t afford them from the organic section of her local grocer. But, unfortunately, I think her guard was down, and satan attacked. Eve’s stroll went from small to serious in seconds. 

We all have “things” we aren’t supposed to have. They come in various styles, shapes, disguises, and desires. Discovering what God wants us to have happens when we intentionally plan, spend time with Him and His word, then obey what He says. Without His guidance, we can never really “plan” our lives and serve our purpose. When we float through without a plan, without God, we will most certainly find ourselves in Eve’s shoes going from small to serious in seconds. Now I know we can’t plan for everything. But we can ask God to help us obey. And we most definitely can ask Him to be strong when we are weak. 2 Corinthians 12: 9-11.

When I started this post four weeks ago, I did not intend it to be an Easter post. And, when it became about Adam and Eve, I didn’t intend for it to be an Easter post. Now I see my focus was on what I thought I should write and not letting Him use my fingers. This is definitely an Easter post because sin entered the world with Adam and Eve. Without sin, then there would be no need for crucifixion.

As I finalize this post, the weather is gloomy, rainy, sad, and depressing. It’s just like I imagine it to be on the day of crucifixion, but praise God for what will come three days from now! Thank You, God, for repairing the rift sin caused between You, and me. Thank You for our constant, open door to You and for saving me, my family, and my friends. Please, Lord, I pray no one spends eternity in hell. Help me tell as many people as I can about You. In Your Son’s risen Name, I pray, Amen. 

HAPPY EASTER! CELEBRATE TODAY WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US!