Science Lessons

I homeschool our daughter and love it. Science isn't my best subject so when it's time to do Science I have to sit right with our daughter and sort of learn it with her. Wednesday's lesson was quite interesting... all about molecules bumping into each other making things heat up and pressure building.... I thought it went well and that we had learned quite a bit - that it "stuck" - and I was so pleased.

Thursday proved me wrong.

Thursday morning our daugher was in the kitchen packing her lunch and getting ready for a day of school "on campus." I was in my bedroom preparing to leave for Bible Study. From the kitchen where Cali was I heard the water boiling and thought she was probably making a pot of tea. A few minutes later I heard a VERY distinctive "pop!" - a sound I remember from my younger days.... it's the sound that is made when you put hot water in a plastic bottle and shake it. I knew the sound from the time I tried to mix baking powder with hot water by shaking it up in a plastic shaker jar. Of course the lid popped off and I had water with baking soda all over the counter.

I yelled from the bathroom sink "Is everything OK?" and waited for the quiet "No" that I knew would come.

As I walked into the kitchen I saw it. Cappucino mix all over the walls, the stove, the microwave, the cabinets, even on the ceiling!!! It dripped from the mugs hanging under the counter, ran down the white cabinet doors, spotted the hardwood floors - and seemed to be everywhere!!! How could 8 ounces of brown water spread so far??!!!

As I cleaned, I was reminded of my bible study lesson for this week. We were reading about David's discomfort with living in a palace while the Ark of the Covenant was stored in a mere tent. David decided he would build God a better place to live and set about moving the Ark to a "better" home. In the process of being moved (not done in the manner God had instructed years before) the Ark tipped and a man named Uzza instinctively reached to keep it from falling. The moment he touched the Ark he fell dead. David's good idea had turned out deadly.

I got the lesson.

Sometimes we have good ideas. We make decisions that seem really great without first asking God. Not bad ideas necessarily... but is it what God wants for us? Is it what God wants for those we "counsel?" How often do we see that our ways are not God's ways? And so often what seems totally foolish is exactly what God is leading us to do! Even more critical - are we missing something His Word already addresses? I don't mean obvious things like killing, stealing, etc. But what about when times get tough and we think we should go this way or that and in reality he's already said "be still and know that I'm God." So often we miss His leading in one direction because we're quick to do the "natural" thing. Even Nathan, in the above story of David and moving the Ark, told David "Go ahead. God is with you. Anything you want to do will be fine." God came back and told Nathan he was wrong but it only seemed natural that David do this good deed - even to Nathan.

My daughter's idea of making her mom a cappucino was really a good idea. She just didn't do it the right way. She simply forgot the Science lesson of the previous day.

I wonder how many times I've had "good ideas" that were not "God ideas." He instructs me through His Word and yet so often I forget what He has said and run off to do something really great for Him... and it explodes. As I sit here I can think of many examples of my own. And I realize that just like my daughter's attempt to make me a cappucino ended with me having to clean up a mess, my good ideas often end with others having to clean up my mess, or suffer the consequences of my actions.

My prayer today is "Lord, help me today to not forget YOUR laws (which I know are there to protect me because you love me!) Help me to follow your steps - to listen for your voice, to run to you with my good ideas and let you turn them into God ideas. Forgive me for all the times others have suffered the consequences of my actions and help them to forgive me also. Help me to not forget today's lesson and to apply it along the way, as You lead me on this path."

Time to go - I see some cappucino spots on the wall that I missed.... and on the floor... and wow - how could I have missed THAT spot??!!

Thanks for walking this path with me....