Conscience

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.