"Thanks for inviting me to go to
church with you next Sunday, Uncle Al." Tim and his uncle were on their
way to Bonny Lake. They had heard the fishing there was great. "I . . . I
don't want to hurt your feelings," continued Tim, "but . . . well . .
. I'm not sure I want to get into this religious stuff. Besides, Mom and Dad
don't think it's a good idea."
"Oh?" asked Uncle Al in
surprise. "I thought you said that your parents wouldn't mind if you went
with me. You sounded quite interested last week. You even said the Gospel was
beginning to make sense to you."
"Yeah, but since then I've done a
lot of thinking," Tim said slowly. "I don't think I feel like getting
'saved' right now. The crowd I hang around with at school wouldn't understand,
and I like being with them. Someday I'll start going to church, but I think
I'll just go on the way I am for a while. I know I'm not perfect, but I'm not
so bad, either."
Tim's uncle drove on silently for a few
minutes. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed as they passed a road sign. "I
was so intent on our conversation that I missed the turnoff! We should have
gotten off this road five miles back!"
"Guess we'll have to turn around
and go back now, huh?" asked Tim.
But Uncle Al shook his head. "I
don't feel like turning around right now," he said. "I guess we'll
just keep going this way. I kind of like this road, and the scenery is
nice." Tim looked at his uncle in amazement. "But we have to turn
around to get to Bonny Lake," he protested, "and the longer we keep
going this way, the longer it will take to get back. If we wait too long to
turn around, we might not even get there in time to fish."
Uncle Al smiled at Tim as he slowed
down for the next turn. "You're right," he said, "and what you
said just now is exactly what I've been trying to tell you about spiritual life
. . . that when you're traveling down the wrong road, the sooner you turn
around, the better. If you wait too long, you might never get to your goal:
Heaven."
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