HARD WAY TO LEARN

That's Taylor. 

He is one of my great grandchildren.

Taylor is a great little guy.  He is not a spoiled brat

like so many kids.  All around, he is obedient, kind, happy

and fun to be around.

However,

Taylor is a kid.  A boy.

Taylor's grandmother, my daughter, has a treadmill.

A treadmill with a motor on it.  Can you beat that.  I 

thought the idea was to get exercise, and it has a motor

to do the work for you!  What will they think of next?

Now Taylor has been wanting to use that treadmill for 

some time.  But "Nana" has been refusing to let him.

Apparently Taylor can be persistent.  So his grandmother

relented and let him use it.

After showing him how to use it, and the proper settings,

Taylor took off.  After a bit Taylor made a mistake and 

turned the speed the wrong way.  Then Taylor found out 

that the treadmill could out run him.  The treadmill tumbled

Taylor around and then threw him against the wall hard

enough to put a hole in the wall.

Thank God there were no broken bones.  But there are

large abrasions all over Taylor's body.  He can stand up 

with out being on an abrasion.  But he cannot set down

or lay down with out being on one.  The last time I 

talked to him - yesterday - he was standing up - in the

car.

Taylor has learned why his grandmother said no.

But hey!

How about you and I.

God our creator and life giver has given us a some

 "do's" and "don'ts" for our own good.

Are we listening?

LEARNING FROM MOLLY

No.  This is not Molly.  This is a critter I found in the back yard 

that was willing to have her picture taken. Molly is the neighbor's 

dog.  Molly lives across the road.  And, Molly is about the most

friendly and lovable dog I have ever met.  In fact, Molly is entirely

 toooo friendly.  Molly truly wants to live up here on our porch. 

Also, Molly needs a bath really, really, really bad.

That is why my wife and daughter keep trying to run Molly

off.  She stinks up the porch and it's chairs.  But you know as

well as I, that all the yelling at Molly, and all the gestures

made to Molly - mean nothing.

My wife and daughter do not understand that all the talk and

gesturing do not make sense to a dog.  A dog is just like us.

They have ears to hear with.  Also a dog has eyes to see with.

But that is only so many facts stored in their pea brain.  Again,

just like us.

What people do not understand is that the "wisdom applicator"

needs to be activated so the dog understands what all the noise 

is about.  Again, just like us. [The "wisdom applicator" is that

module in us that takes the facts stored in our hard drive - pea

brain - and computes the facts allowing us to respond properly

to the facts.]

So, in Molly's case, I activated her "wisdom applicator".  That

explains why these are not Molly's pictures.

Just like in us, the "wisdom applicator" sensors are located just

ahead of the tail, above the legs.  Another thing that people do 

not understand is that these sensors are activated by a sudden 

impulse or jolt. Just like the crash sensors in your car,  you have to 

bang on them hard to make them activate the "wisdom applicator"

Now in Molly's case, this was easy.  The soft end of a broom 

only had to be applied to her "wisdom applicator" sensors about

 twice.  Molly is a very smart

dog.

Hey!  That's the same way God tries to get our attention.

"My child, pay attention when the LORD corrects you,

and do not be discouraged when he rebukes you.

Because the LORD corrects everyone he loves,

and punishes everyone he accepts as a child."

(Hebrews 12:5-6 TEV)

"Those who spare the rod hate their children,

but those who love them are diligent to

discipline them."

(Proverbs 13:24 NRSV)

LEARNING

That is two of my great grand kids at work. They caught me in one of my shops. Their question, "Grandpa can we make something?"

After granting permission they headed straight from my scrap metal pile. They did not know what they wanted to make or how. But they jumped right in making "stuff".

It almost hurt watching them TRY to work. I was very tempted to step in and do it for them. But how else are they going to learn?

As I watched them I could not but wonder, are we like that in God's sight. Does he in love let us blunder around so we can learn?

The little boy made this for grandpa. It is a weapon. Something to throw at the bad guys. And all I had to do was tie the string for him. Can't beat that.