Obedience

Obedience is a lesson learned.

My first year of high school gymnastics brought us to state finals. The moment we entered the massive gymnasium, I was in awe. The bleachers were already packed, buzzing with energy. "I'm ready", I reassured myself. Our team began with floor exercise warm-ups. After a few basic tumbling passes, I wanted to attempt my first-ever roundoff backhandspring backflip combo. It felt like a million eyes were on me.

The run to the roundoff went smoothly, my hands shot back into the backhandspring, and then I reached up for the backflip. When I landed, I found myself standing in the middle of the floor with my teammates cheering. After warm-ups ended, I asked my coach to include the new flip combo in my floor routine. He simply replied, "No, wait until next season." I couldn't believe it. What did he know?

Finally, it was my turn for my actual floor routine. I saluted the judge. My first tumbling pass went well, and the second pass went even better. I executed all my strength and balance moves flawlessly and now prepared for the final tumbling pass - my new roundoff backhandspring backflip combo. I steadied myself, and off I went. I dove into the roundoff, whipped my hands back for the handspring, and then back again for the flip. I saluted the judge, then looked down. Instead of landing on my feet, I landed on my knees. I forgot to throw my hands UP for the backflip.

As I stood up and walked off, the spectators gave me a few courtesy claps. My coach didn't need to say a word; his sympathetic smile said it all.

This was one of many life lessons in obedience. I now understood my coach's wisdom in waiting to first refine the combination. I wish I had listened to him. All God's laws are given to build a firm foundation for our spiritual growth. To obey, we need to humble ourselves and trust that He knows what is best for us. Sometimes we listen, and sometimes we learn the hard way.

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

In life, you learn lessons. And sometimes you learn them the hard way. Sometimes you learn them too late.

I was excited to go for this Presidential Fitness award. Two months of preparation. I was in it to win it.

My 4th-grade teacher announced a special Presidential Fitness Award to anyone who could pass some P.E. challenges. We only had to do pull-ups, run, jump, throw a ball, and situps. We would get an actual certificate signed by the President himself. She said it was in a couple of months, and we could sign up after class. So I did. It sounded like stuff I did on the playground every day. In P.E. class, the coach expanded on required repetitions and time limits. I was not ready.

Cue the Rocky montage, I started exercising every day. At first, I flopped around like a fish doing sit-ups. I could hardly do three pull-ups. I got winded easily while running. However, the chance to get a signed Presidential certificate sounded like what they give war heroes and astronauts. I was in it to win it. After a few weeks, my reps went up and my times went down. I was getting blisters on my hands from the pullups and on my backside from the sit-ups. I could sprint to the bus stop without breaking a sweat, and broad jump like a frog. I was ready.

The big day finally arrived. I saw new people on the playground, probably the presidential fitness scouts. If I did really well, maybe I could even meet the President.

The first event was pull-ups. No problem. Next was the standing broad jump. Easy. Then situps. I was the first one done. Over to the shuttle run. Blazed through it. And finally, the long run. I wasn't first, but I wasn't last. Unexpectingly, I was called over to throw a ball. Forgot about that one. After 2 hours of exercising, their softball felt like a bowling ball in my hand. I wound up and flung it in the direction he was pointing. Not far enough. He said since I passed all the other challenges, I had one last attempt.

I took a few steps back, ran forward, and threw the softball with everything my 55 lbs frame could muster. Still, not even close. I was devastated. I had dismissed practicing throwing a ball. How hard could it be? What did I learn from this? I dislike softball. And I should have paid attention to all the rules. Not just what I thought I needed. What seemed the easiest challenge of all, was the one that brought me down. No Presidential certificate for me.

So it is with keeping the commandments of the Lord. Most of us will not kill people, but do we still harbor hate in our hearts? Most of us will not worship golden idols, but what else do you spend your time worshipping over God? Most of us will not commit adultery, but what do you dwell on? You get the idea. Christ gave us the higher law through His Gospel. It is an upgraded perspective and approach to life, to bring us closer to God. Be wary of your small dismissals or allowances over time. It may be that one thing you are reflecting on right now, that keeps you from your ultimate reward in Heaven. Be in it to win it.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous.

The most important of all the commandments of God is that one that you are having the most difficulty keeping today.

God will still allow pain to teach. It could have been so much worse had I not obeyed.

One Saturday morning while sleeping, I had an odd dream. As I turned my dirt bike down the long straight road to my buddy's house, a policeman suddenly stepped out of the woods and stopped me. He sternly said "It was against the law to ride a motorcycle without a helmet." I felt alarmed and promised to wear it. He let me off with just a warning. Then I woke up.

I finished my Saturday morning chores and was about to head out when I looked over at my dusty motorcycle helmet balanced on my football. I never wore it. I still felt the dream weighing on me so I put it on. As I turned down the same long straight road to my buddy's house, I saw no police and thought - silly dream. So I gunned the throttle like I always did. At the halfway point, a huge Cadillac backed out on the same side the dream policeman did. I thought if I went fast enough I could get around it. I was wrong.

As the car took up the entire road, I leaned back from the dirt bike and flew full speed into the rocky drainage ditch several feet below.

I felt like a ragdoll bouncing along the granite rocks. The elderly lady driving the car yelled out "Are you ok?" I waved and she sped off. My nose was bleeding and a couple of bones were sore - but that was all. I took off my helmet and saw deep scrapes and a huge hole in the back of it. The hole went through my helmet well into the styrofoam. That would have been my skull. I wheeled my dirt bike over to my buddy's house, cleaned up everything, and downplayed the whole incident to my parents.

Some may have written this dream off as my imagination. To me, it was a REAL message that saved my life.

Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.

Great moves of God are usually preceded by simple acts of obedience.

Obedience does not always mean you follow a spoken rule. We are all born with a conscience that inspires us to choose right from wrong.

When I was a preschooler, my friend and I found two heavy metal darts. We decided not to tell our parents and play chicken instead. I threw my dart up and missed him by a mile. I checked my stance, and said "Now throw yours." I still remember the scared look he had as he pointed up. I looked up as his dart went through my eyelid, yet miraculously glanced off my eye. I pulled it out and ran home crying. I paid the price for not following my conscience, but God protected my eye.

A year later, I was over at a new friend's house. He took me quietly down into his basement to find a baseball. He told me his dad takes pictures down here and he was not allowed. Then he quickly showed me his Dad's book of naked pictures. I thought it was strange but blew it off. We got tired of just playing catch outside and decided to make a bat. We stole a butcher knife from the kitchen and started hacking limbs off a dead branch. My conscience weighed on me, and I gestured we should not do this. As I gestured, he accidentally chopped into my pinky finger. Again, I ran home crying. My parents were furious and I was banned from seeing him again. I paid the price for not following my conscience sooner, but God protected me from losing a finger and future abuse from his dad.

Many years later, I had just finished my first year of high school gymnastics. During the summer I was constantly practicing. Back and front flips on the lawn. Press handstands on walls. I was told my handshake grip was painfully firm.

One day, a new friend of my parents stopped by to chat. He offered to let me drive his sports car since I just got my driver's license. My parents said no, but I talked them into it. While driving, he asked what I liked to do. I said, "I liked to go in the woods and pray." So we did. I said a prayer for guidance and protection. He asked if I wanted to rest in the woods. I said "No, let's drive." He then let me drive his awesome sports car. As I was driving, he asked, "What would you do if a guy touched you, like this." As he reached for me, my hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. I held it in a frozen vice grip while I replied "I would punch him in the face many times hard." I let go, and he said we should head back. He could feel the strength in my grip and the conviction in my voice. I almost paid the price for not obeying my parents. Again, God protected me. He inspired me to join Gymnastics for that very moment.

Pray to God, and follow your conscience.

I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day.

A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience.

What seemed harsh was misunderstood mercy. Sometimes we need to go through lessons in obedience to save us from a tragic outcome.

As a boy, I did not always listen. In England, I threw a pebble at a tiger, that nearly climbed out of his cage to teach me a lesson. While we lived in Florida, I went to a Boy Scout Jamboree camp for a week. Earned a handful of merit badges, the mile swim badge was my favorite. At the end of camp, we swam across the camp's murky "dead" lake four times without stopping. That evening, my buddy and I snuck out in a canoe and paddled along the cattails. A motorboat sped up and yelled, "Can't you read the sign! Beware of Alligators" Yep, same lake we have been swimming in all week. At least no sharks.

We only lived a mile from the Gulf of Mexico, so we walked there almost every day to play in the sand and swim. I would swim out near the dolphins. One day, my dad asked if I and my older sister wanted to see the new movie "Jaws". I had already read the book and was excited to see the movie. By the time we got to the theater, there was a long line out the door. Everyone was buzzing about how awesome it was, like a new ride at Disneyworld.

Amid all that noise, I heard a man's voice softly say "Brett, don't go in there."

Huh? I looked around and then asked my sister if she was playing a joke on me. She said no. I blew it off. In a couple of minutes, I heard the same voice say louder "Brett, don't go in there." I looked around again confused, and asked my dad if he was talking to me. He said no. Message received, but I blew it off and watched the movie. Okay, I was scared at times, but I knew the story so not a big deal. Right?

For several months after, I had vivid nightmares about sharks trying to attack my little brother and me. The part I did not mention is, that I would swim far out and hang out on the border nets to watch the nearby dolphin fins. Sometimes even towed my little brother out to watch and splash around on his inner tube. The intense shark nightmares were relentless for that year. I never swam into deep ocean water again. Later after researching, I understood the message. Those fins were NOT all dolphins, and there were known holes in the nets.

Where the tiger and alligator failed, Heavenly Father taught me a hard lesson in obedience. And I strongly believe, saved my brother and me from being fish food.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

The greatest test of life is obedience to God.