Danger in Little Things

My kids enjoy rollerblading. My 13-year-old son likes jumps, rails, and anything else he can do tricks on. But my daughters like long excursions on smooth paths. Straight-line blading has its hazards too, my daughter Julie explained to me. She said that when she blades, she stays alert for big obstacles ahead like a large rock or a limb on the path. But she said that most problems are caused by small pebbles she doesn’t see while watching for the big objects. Then she made this observation: “It’s like that in life. You keep watching for the big problems, but then a little one surprises you and causes trouble.” She’s right. Most of us are on the lookout for life’s big difficulties—the big sins. But we allow what might be considered a less serious problem to trip us up. (Dave Branon; October 23, 2001)