Come Back And See Me!

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unt Shirley lived in the next block.  It was a ten-minute walk, a five-minute bike ride, close enough to make regular visits, and far enough away to get you into trouble.  I should know—I experienced all of these things in my many jaunts to Shirley’s house.   None of these visits, however, is as memorable as my first, a solo hike clear across the neighborhood at the age of two.

Now you must understand the relationship I have with Aunt Shirley.  She helped give me my first bath in the kitchen sink of our home.  She has been there right from the beginning! Daddy had taken me over to her house for a visit and as we left Shirley made the following request, “Come back and see me!”  I promised her I would and daddy took me home.

One morning, I decided to make good on my promise to visit Aunt Shirley.  I woke up early, climbed out of my bed, opened the door, and headed out!  All I was wearing was a T-shirt, a diaper, and rubber training pants.  I like to travel light!  I walked up Main Street, crossed the road, turned left onto Cone Street, took a right turn onto Academy Street, and walked right up Aunt Shirley’s driveway.  I opened the door and went in the house to pay her a visit. 

She had already seen me walking up the driveway by myself and met me at the door.  She wanted what I was doing there by myself and I told her I had come back to see her.  Straightway she called my parents—who were still sleeping and had no idea what had happened—and told them she had a visitor.  It didn’t take my dad five minutes to get there.  I couldn’t understand why he was so scared and upset.  All I had done was what Aunt Shirley told me.  I had just come to see her. 

Shirley begged my dad not to punish me, saying it was her fault that I had taken this little hike.  After all, two-year old children just do what they are told without question.  As far as I knew, I had done nothing wrong and I didn’t really see any cause for alarm.  My dad, however, saw it differently.  He promised Shirley he wouldn’t punish me just so she would let us go.  My dad, however, didn’t tell her the complete truth.  When we got home, he corrected me and told me he never wanted me doing that again.  Although I couldn’t quite figure out what I had done wrong, I did get the idea that striking out on my own wasn’t exactly the wisest move I could make.

In my walk with the Lord, I have also learned that going it solo, no matter how well intentioned, isn’t always the best way either.  Sometimes I just take little side trips, not too far off the main path that God and I are walking but far enough to get me into trouble.  I still cross roads without really looking, I still travel way too light for the journeys I take, and sometimes I don’t think I’ve done anything all that terrible.  But God has a way of showing me that I shouldn’t wander off on my own, that I need to stay right where He is, and that although the way appears safe, there are plenty of dangerous places out there where I can get into serious trouble.

This is usually the time that God teaches me a lesson.  It is never fun when God disciplines us but it is a reassurance that He loves us.  Proverbs 3:11-12 reminds us of this fact, “My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” There is great encouragement in this passage for the Christian.  God’s discipline always has a two-fold purpose. It teaches us to do what is right and it reminds us that God loves us even more than our earthly fathers ever could.

My dad disciplined me for going to Aunt Shirley’s not because it was a bad place to go, not because he was looking for an excuse to teach me a lesson, and not because he just felt like it!  My dad disciplined me because I went out on my own with no protection. I crossed two streets without knowing to look both ways and I didn’t check with him first.  Daddy would have taken me had I asked because he loved me that much.  But he also loved me enough to teach me that I shouldn’t just strike out on my own, especially into dangerous situations like crossing roads! 

Aunt Shirley never intended for me to do what I did when she invited to pay her a visit; but she has never forgotten it.  She still tells me to come back for a visit and on occasion I remind her of what happened when she initially invited me to do just that.  Now we laugh about it; but when it happened, I wasn’t laughing!!

Please know that as you walk with God, He loves you.  His sole purpose is to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ. He also wants to delight in you as a father delights in a son.  Sometimes that means you need a little discipline when you get out of line but even when you are disciplined, God continues to prove just how much He loves you. 

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’ll go back to North Carolina for the holidays and you can bet I’ll go over to Aunt Shirley’s for a visit.  This time, however, I think I’ll take the car.  Walking on my own always gets me into trouble!!!!