…And Mother said to her two smallest children, "Thou shalt not go into Brian's pool, not one bit; though it looks inviting, and though it has been a long, hot weekend. For thou dost not have thy bathing suits and thou canst not swim. Yea, even though your brother and your sister are enjoying the coolness thereof, thou still shalt not go into Brian's pool."
And the children obeyed.
And the children pleaded with Mother, beseeching her to allow them to dip only their feet in the water, and to sit on the edge of Brian's pool, and cool their toes.
And Mother, having great compassion upon them, permitted it to be so.
And the children were enjoying the coolness of the water by the steps, and the fun of the slapping of the noodles on the water, thus making silly sounds. And the children were enjoying blowing in the noodles, and making a sound like a moose. And it was funny.
Then, Mother turneth her back on the children for just one moment, to talk to Brian's Mother, and lo, when she turneth back around, the children were sitting on the top step of the pool, with their clothing all wet.
And Mother said, "Though you have disobeyed my command, still thou mayest sit on the top step of the pool, since thou art already soaking wet; however, to the other steps thou may not go, nor may you enter the pool except for sitting on the top step."
And Mother was talking to Brian's Mother.
And the youngest child did not obey. The youngest child turneth away from the commandment of her Mother, and hangeth onto the edge of the pool and started to go around the edge of the pool.
And Mother commanded the child to go back to the steps; and spake unto her, that if she did not, then judgment would surely come to her.
And the child went back to the steps.
And the children figured out that if they placeth the noodles under the pits of their arms, that they could float on the surface of the water. And it was fun.
And they floated and kicked out to the center of the shallow end. And the second to youngest child floated and kicked toward the deep end, and so it was that he still could not swim.
And Mother saw them and gave them a second stern warning; that judgment was sure to come if they did not heed the commandments of their Mother and stay on the steps of Brian's pool.
And the children did heed the voice of their mother, and went back to the steps.
And the children did test the depth of the water, and they did see that it was of a good height, where even the youngest child could touch the bottom, and still have her head over the height of the water. And it was fun to walk around the shallow end.
And Mother knew that this was yet the third time that they had not heeded her commandment, and said by the voice of her own mouth, "Thou shalt get out of Brian's pool right now, because thou hast not heeded the commandments of thy Mother." And the children were cold, because they had not brought a towel, and it was yet evening, at the going down of the sun.
And the children were sad, because they could not go back into Brian's pool after that, for it was time to go home. And Mother was also sad, for the children had been disobedient to her commands; for the Mother loveth her children, and her commands were for their good, and their safety.
Isn't sin like that? Progressive? A little bit at a time, the children went from being obedient to being disobedient, and could have put themselves in danger, because they could not swim.
Sometimes, we allow "little" sins to creep into our lives; and then we get desensitized to it, and these little sins can eventually turn into bigger sins, and get us in "over our heads," just like the children did last night.
God's commands are also for our good and for our safety, because He loves us more even than a mother loves her children.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem..... How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me." Matthew 23:37
desensitized to it...yes that's why we call him the deceiver ! Beautiful parable...shows our slow regression downward once we begin to disobey...It's so much easier to "trust and obey" than to "disobey and then pay"...