The Guardrail
THE GUARDRAIL
Read Proverbs 4:1-10.
As the Tylers’ car edged up the mountain road, Jeffrey pouted. “Picnics are boring,” he grumbled. “Why couldn’t I stay with Connor?”
Mom sighed. “We already told you—Uncle Lee and Aunt Sue aren’t home. We don’t think you should be there while they’re gone.”
Jeffrey frowned. “You treat me like a kid.”
Suddenly, five-year-old Jessica squealed as she looked at the valley below. “Be careful, Daddy!” Her nose was pressed hard against the car window. “It’s a long way to the bottom.”
Dad said, “I’ll be careful. But if I should slip off the road, the guardrail will keep us from going over the edge.”
When they reached the picnic area, Jeffrey’s spirits lifted. He couldn’t stay mad.
The trip home was quiet. Jessica went to sleep. Even Jeffrey and Dad dozed.
“Wake up, everyone!” called Mom as she drove into the garage. “Oh, I hear the telephone.”
Jeffrey and Dad were unloading the picnic supplies when Mom came back out. “I have bad news. Your cousin Connor had an accident this afternoon on his dirt bike.”
Later, as they returned from visiting Connor at the hospital, Jeffrey said, “If I had stayed with Connor, it could have been me.”
Dad nodded. “Uncle Lee told Connor not to ride that bike while he and Aunt Sue were gone, but Connor didn’t listen.”
“Parents are like guardrails,” Jeffrey said. “They keep us from danger . . . if we obey them.”
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you obey your parents? You need their guidance, and God commands you to obey them. Next time you’re tempted to disobey, remember that He often uses parents to guard you from danger—just like a guardrail.
TO MEMORIZE:
“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”
Ephesians 6:2-3
OBEY YOUR PARENTS.
From the book
