My trip to Alaska gave me many opportunities to see things I would never have seen before. We went to Cheno Hot Springs, a beautiful place with mountains and scenery to die for. On the property was an igloo with amazing ice sculptures inside. The first thing they tell you is, "Please don't touch the ice or lick the ice." What did I do? I immediately went into the frigid igloo and asked my son in law to take a picture of me touching the ice. Why? because they told me not to. I would have put my tongue on the ice if I wasn't afraid of getting caught in the act because my tongue was stuck on the ice and I then would have been caught red handed in the act of defiance. I was a little nervous to get caught and my heart was racing but I wanted that picture. So, we acted fast.
How many times have we told our younger children, "Don't touch that" and seconds later they are screaming because they did the opposite of what we had just said minutes earlier. What is so hard with just listening and not always having to experience something because someone dared us not to touch?
I know all through my life, things would have been better if I would have just listened to the people that were in my life or even listened to that still some voice and say, "run" instead I embrace, and moments after I knew I made the wrong choice and now the consequences follow. Why does the thrill of doing something we were warned not to do, why does it give us this high and then the low follows?
I can think of someone that totally walked into the unknown, knowing what they have been told but, still followed each other to the tree, to eat of the fruit of Good and evil. How long did it take for the realization to set in that nothing would be the same again? How long did it take for the moment to be so emotional that they couldn't face each other, and they hid from God? How many times did Adam go to the field and say, if only I would have, led. Why didn't I get out of the bushes and go to my wife? How many times did Eve think during birth," If only?" When her children grew up and jealously set in and murder and were cast away forever. Did Eve think back to that moment and grieve the loss that only a mother could grieve for her children?
I have had many moments in my life that I wish I didn't touch the stove of lust and the stove of betrayal. I wish I would have listened to my gut and run as fast as I could. But I didn't and got burned really badly by men that didn't love me. I found myself in situations that I should have called the police, and I didn't because the burn of betrayal was too hard to let others see what I got myself into because I didn't listen. If only we could go back and let, go of the regret of not listening. Don't touch when told not to.
I heard a saying one time, "the devil gets his reward up front" He dresses up things in a way that we know not to touch but, he makes it look so desirable. Then that moment turns into marriages broken, addictions that can't be stopped, a lie that grew and now you are without a job or a way to provide for yourself, that one drink that you knew you shouldn't have and now you're on the streets trying to get one more bottle or one more hit. Does everyone look back at that very moment and live in regret? wishing they could just go back? I know I have many times. Instead of going back, why didn't we just listen in the first place?
I knew touching the ice was wrong, I knew I should have listened and not defy what I was told. but that urge was so great, and I wanted to. Doesn't make it right and I could have paid a consequence because of my defiance. I really did it to prove a point. Like all of us, we think we will never get caught. We think that we will be the one person that will duck from the defiance with no consequences. We find out soon enough that we aren't someone special and prices are paid, and it was a high price.
We have so many examples of prices being paid. If you think you will get away with something, think again. How many men have gone down in History as men with no character? Have taken something from someone. How many marriages have been ruined because the other woman thought he would be different with me. How many life changing moments in your life have altered your life and someone else's? There is a reason why we are told, "don't touch that"
I made a joke of touching the ice but, life decisions are no joke. Getting burned isn't something to play around with. The life lessons I have learned because I didn't listen have been hard for me to forgive myself. That gut wrenching moment when you know, what have I done?
No regrets in life, I can't go back and fix the mistakes, sometimes they weren't even mistakes. They were defiant to the core. There were times that I knew what I was doing and did it anyway, I hurt many people with some of my decisions, that I was told wasn't a good idea. Oh, the heartache I caused.
How many of you look back over your life and see where you went, or did something that you knew, you shouldn't. That instead of running you encamped there, I know we all are sitting and thinking about those times, knowing better but, you got caught and ensnared yourself because you felt, "I made my bed" My dear friend, forgive yourself and let it go. We all have had those moments. let it go and give yourself some grace.
Looking at myself touching the ice, reminds me of the saying, "The enemy gets his reward up front" Boy, do we pay after. The lesson to learn here. Leave the stove alone and when someone tells you, "Don't touch" DON'T
