Conditioning...

The other day Logan and I had drove over to Deerwood to see a baseball game... On our way out of the park I noticed there were two girls walking along the side of the road. One of them had a paper plate from a hotdog... just then a big just of wind came up, pulling the plate right out of the girls hand. Both girls screamed (as girls do) and followed the plate with their eyes as it went up over the top of them and flew about ten feet behind them until it landed on the ground. Then thats when I heard His voice 'Pay attention, you are about to see something happen.'
The girls both looked at the plate, one even slowly starting to walk towards it... you know how you get a sense of some things? Well I got the sense that both of these girls had been taught not to litter... and had they been just a year or two younger they would have raced to see who could grab the plate first... but there they both stood, turning and looking at each other, then at the plate... As I passed them I looked in my rear view mirror to see what was going to happen... This pulled at my heart strings in great hope they would do the right thing, and I found myself praying they would pick the plate up (I know it sounds strange). My heart leaped with joy as I saw one of the girls walk over and pick the plate up. Instantly the urge to pray for the girls deepened and I became aware of why...
Ever find yourself in a 'pickle' and looking around at the situation and wonder, 'How did I get into this mess?'... I have!! And it wasn't sometime that just happened... I conditioned my self right into it... at sometime long before it happened, instead of 'picking up the plate', I decided it wouldn't be so bad if I just let it go... Let me explain it differently...
When these girls were younger they would have picked the plate up right away, without any hesitation... And if you told them someday they would be thinking of littering, they would tell you 'NOT ME!'... But as it would be over time... whether peer pressure, laziness, embarassment, etc. they both looked to see what the other was going to do... they stalled from doing what they knew was right... this time one of them decided to step up and pick up... what about next time... What if I was to tell them that someday they would get a fine for littering...
"PAY ATTENTION!!" I hear Him whisper. "OPEN YOUR EYES!!" He revealed to me how important it is that I stay 'on top of things' so to speak... Watch and pay attention to the little choices I make that can lead to the big mistakes...
PaPa open my eye's... keep me alert... do what ever it takes for me to stay close to You...