If it is a knucklehead decision don’t make it- my mom used to say something along those lines to me.

I had gotten in trouble for throwing rocks. That wasn’t the issue but when one hit the neighbors little girl and left a gash…. and then there was blood… that became a problem. Mom said “ what were you thinking?” I said back that I thought throwing rocks was fun and I didn’t think it would hurt anyone.

She said “you weren’t thinking ahead!” Well what did that mean?

Move ahead to me being in my early twenties. Newly married. Happy as a clam. And in Oklahoma one afternoon we were swimming at a lake – I was still in college finishing up but taking a break, I decided to throw a few rocks. In the lake and not at anyone! But as I turned my body to start skimming rocks on the lake my husband popped out of the water right at the same time! Yes it just so happened the rock I threw skimming hit him square in the forehead and blood began to burst forth as he fell back into the water.

We’d only been married a year. As we rushed to the hospital I really began to cry and worry for him as he wasn’t talking and had his head leaning back in the car. Friends helped me carry him into the hospital.

The doctor rushed him back and tended to him for quite a long time eventually stitching him up. The doctor came out of those double doors heading straight for me looking like my mother did all those years ago. He proceeded to lecture me about the dangers of hitting people in the head with rocks and did I remember the Bible story of David and Goliath? I numbly nodded my head up and down. The doctor said “Young lady I don’t want you to ever throw rocks again! Do you hear me!” As I looked around the hospital waiting room everyone nodded their head with me in agreement.

But I made a decision that day. Never ever ever throw rocks again. I’m 60 and I haven’t thrown a rock since. I realized a foolish frivolous choice was not worth the shrapnel of my poor decision. That left damage everywhere.

As a believer I know we come to God and tell Him of our poor choices, bad decisions- shrapnel everywhere…. and what happens now. Well the good news is God can help us untangle that mess of yarn. Our mess didn’t happen over night so the answer and solution usually takes more than a 24 hour period.

Here is a simple approach though that for me has worked for the last oh 50 years.

God I’m sorry I acted like a knucklehead. Help me fix what I can fix. Forgive me for making such a terrible mess. And God help me. I need your wisdom to see wisely, situations before they turn into messes. Give me the strength to be wiser and to know ahead of time that I’m headed the wrong direction with my mouth or with my choices. In Jesus name Amen.

And yes it took a few days but my husband forgave me. After he recovered from his concussion.

Debbie Mills Booth