TEMPTATIONS – DEVOTIONAL
Howdy Friends! The boy and Grandpop had been at it for some time. Painting old, dry barn siding had never been high on the list of hobbies for Grandpop. Especially not when it’s hot enough to, “Make the paint boil,” as Grandpop said a little while ago. But it was a great way to hold still a “young ‘in” who could benefit from a short talk.
“It really wasn’t a big deal.” The boy protested. “I’ve done worse already.” The boy balanced atop the step ladder reaching as high as he could to paint the underside of the last window header. “I didn’t even think about it.”
Grandpop let out a laugh purposely exaggerated in its robustness. “I think we all know you can’t be called guilty of thinkin’ it over before hand!”
Grandpop made a show of grabbing a sawhorse and sitting on it.
“You quitting?” The boy asked.
“Takin’ a break so I can admire your magnificent brush strokes.”
“There’s a lot to go yet.” The boy pointed to the unpainted wall.
Grandpop surveyed what was painted and unpainted. “Yup a fair amount.” He twisted the lid off his thermos, poured a little coffee. “And for a young feller who don’t waste much time on thinkin’ it over shouldn’t take long ta complete.”
“Painting doesn’t take thinking.” The boy said.
“Probably not much.” Grandpop agreed. “But ya know what might?”
“What?” The boy climbed down the ladder and sat on the lower rung.
“Thinkin’ ‘bout wether a fella ought to do somethin’ he sorta knows he shouldn’t.”
“Here we go.” The boy moaned.
“Oh we’re goin’ alright. And I’ll bet the rest of my coffee you know where.” Grandpop chuckled.
“I guess you’re gonna let me have it over not thinking before I got involved with the other kids. But it sounded like fun.”
“Tempting huh?” Grandpop shot him a grin.
“Sure was!”
“How’d it work out for ya?” Grandpop asked.
“There weeks detention.”
“Yeah that’s the funny thing about temptation. It kinda runs away with a fella.” Grandpop said.”
“So we’re going to talk about temptation?”
“Looks like we should.” Grandpop said.
“Why?”
“Good question. From where I’m stittin’ looks like you might be able to benefit from it, so next time that ol’ roamin’ temptation horse comes along, you can wrestle with it a bit before ya saddle up and ride it into another stretch of detention or worse.”
“What?” The boy said,
“Temptation isn’t only about the big and easy to spot wrongs.” Grandpop started. “Each day we’re faced with tiny, not so obvious temptations. Does a fella ever think about those tiny missteps?
The little bads we’re sure nobody’ll notice, and aren’t really so bad anyway. Them’s the start of the big problem. Sort of like a sneaky trap.”
“A trap?” The boy asked.
“Oh yeah them little temptations we fall for, why they ain’t ever satisfied. And they grow like that wall of weeds over there.” Grandpop pointed to a robust patch of weeds on the fenceline. “And before a fella knows it, he don’t even see them little temptations as bad at all anymore, and he sets about runnin’ after bigger and bigger temptations, and then it happens.”
“What happens?”
“A temptation so big grabs a hold of ‘im and wrestles ‘im to the ground in a predicament there’s no way out of… And he’s in real trouble… Maybe with friends or family. Maybe with the law. And surely with our great Father in Heaven… Better ta learn to handle them little deals before they get growin’ outa control. But with a little thinkin’ and talkin’ with the Lord, a fella has a good chance of stayin’ out of trouble, and handlin’ them temptations. Even the little ones.”
Grandpop figured he’d let the boy ponder on that while they finish painting.
