Desire without knowledge is not good– how much more will hasty feet miss the way! Proverbs 19:2
Vacation can be times of adventures as well as times of relaxation. One in particular found us having class on a boat! The boys learned about marine life as they pulled crab pots, and handled those crabs to see if they were male or female…and to practice their reaction skills. They experienced harvesting and tasting their own oysters…salty! Yes, I participated because what kind of teacher would I be if I didn’t lead by example? (Ok, maybe there was a little bit of not wanting to look wimpy.) They learned about navigating a boat on the water and how to anchor it when we got to the mudflats.
After leaving the boat, it was time to do some clamming so we could make stuffed clams the next day. We felt that spongy mud between our toes with every step we took. We might all have a little competitive streak in us, so it was about who could find the first clam and who found the most. We kept our eyes focused for breathing holes and we’d work our feet down until we could feel that clam and pull it out. We weren’t using rakes, just our senses and our feet. It was a blast and we found so many that day!
Unfortunately, the hubby found more than clams. He found a razor-sharp oyster shell that sliced open the bottom of his foot. He was tough though, and waited until our experience was over before letting us know just how bad it was. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anywhere close to get him taken care of. The little clinic that operates on the island was closed for the day. We didn’t know if there was anywhere besides the closest hospital to seek help, which was a long drive away.
The neighbors happened to be outside when we returned to our rental house. I decided to head over to see where else we might take him, and found out she was a nurse just getting done with her shift at the clinic. She was kind enough to take a look at his foot. She got it all cleaned out and super glued shut. She saved us a long trip and a whole lot of expense. God had it all planned!
The character trait for today is Cautiousness-knowing the importance of right timing in accomplishing right actions (definition from characterfirst.com).
That vacation day, we learned a valuable lesson. There are times to be bold to accomplish what you need to and times to practice cautiousness. Even though you can plunge in with your feet, if your timing is off (an oyster shells is waiting), the consequences can be disastrous.
This is so true with life in general. There are times to be bold and speak the truth, but we must use restraint and be cautious. We need to make sure the time is right to speak, so we don’t have those disastrous results. Friendships can be broken because we are boldly setting someone straight, but God hasn’t called us to do that.
Today, practice cautiousness in your speech. Don’t let the words just roll off your tongue. Take a few seconds (or minutes…or hours…or days) to see if the timing is right. If God gives you the green light, then move boldly ahead.
