%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 23 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 19 0 R /I2 20 0 R /I3 25 0 R /I4 26 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 15 0 R /GS2 16 0 R /GS3 17 0 R /GS4 18 0 R /GS5 21 0 R /GS6 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20241222050859+00'00') /ModDate (D:20241222050859+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 2301 >> stream xXQ~%kɖlheAnDYJCR:{}, CP,ֶ(iqo-bO}@"\Xz͊XCC/ޘjt:GOz+FW_ofh%Eb8Vr+\WWxnU“iAgjsƧwog(ʃLʅjv?!X)>_YY,KgVq/> f^GxEd8 1s Ʋ1ĪO^`<5fj2hs._\@D,\v3MPP_f^wJ bV؜fl| JzCȷCRogwn|"p)r=a (30~1@ \A|Y}׃rl,_BF>o#0;:7K@w~Ұb[ldY^ZȷV)rfps2"б5=iGܜN2]-5㾥VͪͧkzRDGyz:Θ6 ]e LQdp@^BnQ-J̉=ԎVf5NQdpYwQ YYrS${;tK@;je$tN l zw<`›Uٓ9RY)s ! hwk%5Up jqjqk:+5@>٪;0o2E?A؈udNXZ)~Ơh⤚x/fXYR R(zl` [^:*}Jz |T쵎}g\j`I#˖R&-Yv'+fj.a8GPȤ yQ)V?T5&;,Rfγ ,uZK7/7bJ£ ⾲ʥ .}EbpN?7kIV`};| 6)𢕻65?3qo<'W+q+]x*81kۨFS -V Ǝ)UiubRҒ\= Y*!s7, 6s5P7s l&OQi-oCEɖ!K֬)C!|Z"jt.쟮1:M!2Eσ^rCDY3ѣ@Ui[M.RKig% 2z֙F$`tO ݅ZvJMȫgeW"c+?3$\BEٹNa+]*R$=c;SlO|d:ui0(p9F [VmGLU.ɝO\{vcIwQ[&F IR@#Y` c";gS(۠\5H:--| k`)> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Times-Italic /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.67 >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.67 >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 24 0 R >> endobj 24 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1552 >> stream xWr6+7jO]\v:9ınqX\"?8=YU>\283^bA>]\0kLdYF*fgbYMMWK MC^4 OyGnXzr.D?K:U6ˠ?m])[=h7j8Ռ^y[{K /8Ž,EYnmjO`a|xN7]}S䕻&x፭x)*wܭj,VaHS]`营l]&WA[{~Z A9'{lƮ;SK|~F0i-p.kbe7-(sPT[:2+DUW*p 'I7spz'ܴS$| `]@MNi^g"Q`SS4fE#{d: %+P82GQp.S:wC vBO9ȣHr-RMVDA=#UdwwlMw>'v *S)?npLz)YGl# CATX NxNNp?dAJθ*- NDMa[b1Oq3ϏtChb6OjXWQY4t㩱'̗ؤhV_:T`T(e FS#MWbJq'irvܷ/@7f 8ѠN{UjW Z^?>1|85QXBbQX/QJ:=;̲lumt{*#g1+XP:Ż rGd$Q,SGvyOsqKO2*#:#y&[Ȃ: nDN:Ib[ᚧz P\:=5X3j,Jc䷷X>WrxnXdL|ۑ=d;̗X-R))r.I fLP;y^ QNyvy\稱Qce N* @vAox6}E&ySG U+qy,1f5W%pCkחXԃlCbc'8@8wvH+^ul^6Jy.$sp1ub@rU%,t1B8`A᧱,2|~;cs> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 27 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000485 00000 n 0000000522 00000 n 0000000671 00000 n 0000000774 00000 n 0000003148 00000 n 0000003255 00000 n 0000003363 00000 n 0000003473 00000 n 0000003586 00000 n 0000003697 00000 n 0000003726 00000 n 0000003836 00000 n 0000003896 00000 n 0000003956 00000 n 0000004013 00000 n 0000004070 00000 n 0000009645 00000 n 0000010776 00000 n 0000010835 00000 n 0000010894 00000 n 0000010999 00000 n 0000012625 00000 n 0000018200 00000 n trailer << /Size 27 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 19331 %%EOF Focus - Stepping Out in Traffic | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

Focus – Stepping Out in Traffic

June 13, 1999
4 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

reardon
Lt. Amanda Reardon –

I have three sons, one of whom is a two-year old. Though he is charming, he is in every way a two-year-old–with all the spunk and defiance one typically finds wrapped in those little packages. Recently, he and I were about to step into a parking lot when I reached for his hand. “No!” he protested, his small arms set rigidly at his sides, his mouth turned down in a stubborn pout.

“Wesley,” I said, “there are cars here. What do cars do?”

“Hurt you,” he muttered, as trained.

“Right, so give me your hand and you won’t get hurt.”

“No, no, no!” he shouted, this time stomping his feet and flinging his arms wildly so I couldn’t catch them. I scooped him up and carried him to the car.

Though I only wanted to keep Wesley from harm, to his mind I was limiting his freedom. Every parent knows the frustration felt when a loving act is interpreted by her child as an unkind or restrictive act. Our Father God knows this feeling well, I am sure.

Many people respond to God’s biblical instruction as a short-sighted toddler or a sullen teenager responds to his or her parents’ rules and guidelines. They seem to feel God’s motives are punitive, that his laws are rigid reminders of his power and are in place only to keep us in check. Others take a slightly gentler view, assuming that God’s motives are to test us. Our obedience to otherwise unnecessary restrictions proves our allegiance to God and our general worthiness.

Yet we know from Scripture that God wants us to have abundant, joyous life. He does not want to make us miserable. But to keep us from ‘stepping out in traffic,’ he provides guidelines for our own happiness and safety.

I’ll be specific. One of the most protested Scriptural mandates is sexual abstinence outside of marriage. Some people try to rationalize against this biblical instruction. I’ve had friends give me reasons why abstinence didn’t pertain to them, under their special circumstances. But sex outside of marriage always cheats the parties involved. It is the most private gift we have to give, and giving it to someone other than a spouse robs those involved of the beauty of saving that gift for the one and only person who should receive it. Even if that couple later marries, something is lost. God’s law is there to protect us from missing out on that magic. It is also there to protect us from disease, unwanted pregnancies, and emotional ruin.

Of course, Christians don’t only feel cheated when they refrain from doing the wrong thing. They also feel cheated when they do the right thing. Many times people are called by God to give themselves in some sort of ministry (full-time or lay service), but they drag their heels because they have other plans. Or they yield to God, but with a reluctance and a feeling of grandiose sacrifice. This will step on some toes: how often has a young man or woman felt undeniably called into Salva-tion Army officership, but he or she refuses to go until he/she finds a spouse first? These would-be servants put God’s best for their lives on hold because they have their own stipulations that God hasn’t met. How much better to joyfully surrender to him, trusting that he knows our needs better than we do and will never fail to meet them!

This leads me to the most important thing I have learned in my entire Christian walk, the greatest revelation of my life: I am never sorry when I do things God’s way.

Perhaps such a statement seems too obvious. But how often do we, in real-life circumstances, think we know better than God? How often do we feel we have a wiser strategy, a better idea, or “special circumstances” that will supersede what is written in God’s word or the call he has placed on our lives?

For example, I recently became irrationally angry at my 11-year-old for some minor infraction. As I dropped him off at school, I decided to insult and berate him to get my point across. Just before the verbal venom came hissing through my teeth, verses like “Fathers, do not exasperate your children” (Eph. 6:4) and “(the tongue) is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8) ran through my head. I heard the Holy Spirit strongly urging to bite my tongue until I could behave in a reasonable manner. But I decided I knew better! I ignored biblical wisdom and relied on my supposed sagacity. As soon as the scathing words escaped my mouth, I regretted them.

If left to my own devices, I would barge ahead, this way and that, finding occasional happiness and creating frequent chaos. I have been known to step in front of oncoming cars, metaphorically speaking. But since I have learned to trust my Lord more than I trust myself, I am safe. Remember this promise: “I know the plans I have for you….plans to prosper you and not to harm you…” (Jer. 29:11) Knowing this, let us yield to him unconditionally, and we will never be sorry we did.

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like