"Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house." Ecclesiastes 10:18 (NLT)
Life for a boy is measured in milestones. The
first time you wear "big boy" underwear. The first time you are tall
enough to ride a roller coaster. And the first time you eat a Big Mac
meal all by yourself. For my youngest son Robbie, the last milestone
came at age six. And it also came with a life-message about the danger
of shortcuts.
For a first grader, lunch in the cafeteria is
a novelty. With two older brothers, Robbie knew it meant I would be
joining him occasionally with a special lunch instead of his normal
sandwich and fruit. He couldn't wait for his turn to have Mommy show up
with lunch hidden in a paper bag, stamped with a familiar golden arch.
The first time I did, he was thrilled.
Robbie majestically created a plate from the
paper wrapping, dumped the fries onto the "plate," and sampled his soda.
Like a king on his throne, he surveyed his lunch. Then Robbie dug in
with abandon to his double-decker burger. And just as quickly, secret
sauce started dripping down his little fingers.
He caught some with his tongue, but surplus
sauce still oozed down his hands. I could see his shirt about to become a
dining accessory, and started rustling through the bag and under
wrappers. "Wait Robbie, I'm sure I brought some napkins," I said.
"It's okay Mommy," Robbie said raking his
fingers through his hair. "My hair is a napkin." He grinned, thoroughly
pleased with himself.
I stared. Speechless.
That was a teachable moment for me. You see, I
didn't know I had to tell my children not to use their hair as a
napkin. Now I know.
I learned something else from that
experience. Convenience trumps correct almost every time when children
are small. Which is why dirty clothes get dropped on the floor directly
in front of the hamper. Or glasses get set on the counter above the
dishwasher. Bad habits are easily formed, and it seems in our human
nature to choose ease over diligence, quick over thorough.
Sadly, with enough choices like that, we end
up with a life-culture of shallow rather than deep. Instead of pushing
through to the next level of excellence, we settle. Instead of the few
extra seconds it takes to find a napkin, we use our hair. And then we
wonder why things aren't the way we wish they were.
I catch myself looking for the occasional short cut. But I've discovered there are no short cuts to anyplace worth going.
I'll never have a clean home unless I get to
work on it. I'll never save money unless I shop smarter. I'll never be
an excellent writer unless I sharpen my skills. I'll never be a great
wife or mother unless I make it a priority. I will never wake up one day
and find that my dreams have become a reality, unless I'm willing to do
what it takes to make that happen.
Besides a good story, Robbie's "My hair is a
napkin" experience is a great lesson. It reminds me that convenience
isn't always best. Shortcuts don't always work. And I've still got a lot
to learn about parenting and life.
Dear
Lord, I praise You today for who You are. You are worthy of my best
efforts. Forgive me when I try to take a shortcut in serving You. Help
me to remember that Your way isn't always the easy way. But it's the
best way. In Jesus' Name, Amen.(Glynnis Whitwer)
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