So close to miserable ...

We were so close to miserable! Whew!

For weeks we planned to camp last night, prior to a trail race Jeff was registered to run this morning. We had the food ready to go, reserved a campsite, and Jo had her bag packed so we could pick her up from school and head out. We were excited and looking forward to some quiet campsite time together, but early in the week the forecast began to cast serious doubt on our plans. As the days passed, we turned to the true "experts," the Weather Channel, to see the doppler in motion and watch the pace of the front. Granted, it has rained for most of the last couple of weeks, but we are optimists and campers and really wanted to go. A little rain while camping can actually be soothing. Jeff turned to the local computer coverage, as we searched for someone to tell us what we WANTED to hear, so we could do what we WANTED to do. We just found multi-colored maps with clouds the colors of candy corn moving toward Knoxville and our camping area. Rats. Hate it when we can't find someone to tell us what we want to hear!

Friday morning, it was time to make the call, so we bailed. We changed plans, because of the warnings we received. Storms were headed our way, with torrential rain expected for Saturday morning, with possible thunder & lightning. Too much to be soothing ... or safe. I put the can of corned beef hash back in the pantry and went to Plan B .... a nice "Sorry we couldn't go" dinner and Friday night re-runs of the Brady Bunch. :)

This morning, I am SO GLAD we heeded the warnings. We were so close to "MISERABLE" or worse ... disaster! There seems to be something in us that makes us hope warnings are not true "in our case," that our circumstances will beat the odds. But when people who "know" what they're talking about warn us, it pays to listen. I should know this, because there have been times in my life when I didn't heed warnings, and I was always miserable as a result. It's a very human trap we fall into .... sort of "Adam and Eve-ish." Sort of like the nation of Israel ...

2 Kings 17:13-14 (NIV)

¹³ The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: "Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets."¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the LORD their God.

Still, God takes the time to warn, to teach, to save us from the misery we'd choose on our own:

Romans 15:4 (NIV)

⁴For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

So I sit here in my kitchen, listening to the soaking rains and acorns hitting the roof :), and I'm so thankful for wise warnings that spared us from camping misery. Even more, I'm thankful for the words of scripture that I read this morning, words that taught and encouraged and exhorted me. I need the warnings I heard this morning to give me direction and hope from the One who knows what He's talking about; it was time well spent.

Has God's Word called you to heed Him this week? Praying you'll be spared the misery and will enjoy the hope!