HKU Alumni Reunion You may be an alumnus and just don’t know it yet. It’s a school of hard knocks for those who leave God’s path, a dead-end street for those who hate God’s rules. Proverbs 15:10 (The Message) Did I ever tell you that I have an advanced degree and graduated with honors from HKU? What a great school. Do you know they don’t even need advisors there? I did so well there they have asked me back to teach some of the core classes. Oh by the way, there are no diplomas either, but you do get some bumps, bruises, and scars along the way. Are you also an alumnus of Hard Knocks University (HKU)? Isn’t it great that some of us have had to learn things the hard way? No. Come on, who needs MapQuest, a GPS, or directions? We will find it. I don’t know why they put directions in a box of something you have to put together. If I look at the picture on the front of the box, I can figure it out. I know what the experts said, but hey, I can do this. The experts just spout a bunch of mumbo jumbo anyway. I don’t need to read the Bible; I can decipher who God is on my own. It is too hard to figure out what those two-thousand-year-old guys were saying anyway. If I am a good guy. They will just let me in heaven anyway. Yeah, right. Even when I was a young child, it seemed I had to find things out the hard way. When I was about four years old, I was at a place I referred to as the “big pool.” My mother always told me to stay close to her, but I would always sneak off and find some adventure. Well, one day, I saw one of some bigger kids jump off the diving board into eight feet of water. Mom said, “Stay away from that.” It looked like way too much fun to stay away from. Two lifeguards and a rescue swim later, I realized it probably was not as much fun as it looked. When I was around that same age, Mom said, “Don’t go by the stove” and “Don’t touch. It is hot.” Maybe she shouldn’t have said that. The next thing she said was, well, not exactly G-rated, but it was panicked, something about ice and a towel, and I was screaming. She said on another occasion, “Don’t play with that knife.” The next thing you know, the bandages are out, and Mom and Dad are wondering if we need to go get stitches. They said, “Stay in the yard.” Well I have to tell you it was a nice ride home in the police car. Shall I go on? With all my bumps, scrapes, and scars, HKU wants me back. I know all about trying things the hard way. The hard way and my way seem to be one in the same. No matter what they say, I have a better idea. Usually after I say that, bandages are needed. The Message version of the Bible actually uses the words hard knocks twice, once in Jeremiah 48:11 and then the one I used from Proverbs 15:10. Leaving God’s path leads one to hard knocks. The Bible gives directions and commands to live by. God’s way may not always be easy, but it is simple. My way is usually the hard way. It also says it is a dead-end path for those who don’t follow God’s rules. You are not going to believe this, but in my life I have left God’s path and didn’t follow his rules. Well, a belief in Jesus as my Savior, a baptism, and much ongoing repentance later, I am back on his path and following his rules. Life is so much simpler, wholesome, peaceful, loving, and filled with God’s grace and mercy when I simply follow his path and directions. So, my fellow HKU alumnus, we are holding a class reunion at church this Sunday. Alumni are also meeting between the pages of the Bible, in prayer, meditation, and in wise counsel. Read the directions. Follow Jesus’ path and commands. There may be a few bumps and bruises along the way as well, but you are not alone, and God himself will be with us every step of the way to assist and carry us when asked. From my book A Prodigal Return: Reflections from a Grateful Heart Ken Jones
Posted on: Sat, 06 Jul 2013 16:49:27 +0000
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