Daddy We Need A Lock

Daddy, We Need a Lock

Last week, I called my Mississippi daughter-in-love to tell her about a new little nephew who had born into our family.  Nicole loves all things baby, and I knew she would rejoice over the miracle of birth into our Texas family.  After we had chatted a few moments, she said, quietly, We need to give an extra portion of praise to the Lord Jesus today for what He did in our lives, yesterday.  Hearing the little break in her voice, my heart climbed a little into my throat as I asked what had happened.

Nicole explained that she had been running errands after picking up all of the children at school.  Expecting Jamie home, soon, she helped all three of the older children out of the car, as she gathered up the baby and began doing what always seems like moving, unloading the car, carrying in packages, and retrieving diaper bags, dance shoes, and whatever else hides in the vehicle of a large, busy, mobile young family.

The children began to settle down after a busy day, and Nicole began to put things away, suddenly remembering a load of clothes in the dryer.  After unloading the dryer, folding a few things, and taking them into our only grandson’s room to put them away, she noticed Gabe, 3 years old, changing his clothes as she walked in.  Unsure of why he was changing clothes, though most children consider it a sacred duty to generate as much laundry as possible in any one given day, she asked, Gabe, why are you changing clothes, again?  Then, she noticed his little shirt was wet.  Gabe, she asked, did you have an accident?  Did you not make it to the bathroom in time?  How did you get your shirt wet?

A little insulted, Gabe responded, 'No, Mom.  I got it wet when I filled up my water gun in the swimming pool.'  Shocked, because they have a double, six-foot fence around the pool, Nicole asked him again about how he got wet.  Again, he explained that he had gotten wet filling up his water gun in the pool.

Nicole ran to the backyard.  She had only been in the laundry room for minutes.  Sure enough, there, by the gate from the patio into the pool area, she saw how Gabe had unlocked a 6-ft. gate.  He had pulled the patio table against the gate, climbed onto the table, unlocked the gate, and slipped into the area around the pool where he proceeded to fill the super shooter water gun my husband had given him as he leaned over the pool.  (My husband said, as he heard me sharing this story with our older son, that he knew, somehow, the incident would be his fault, though we live nearly four hundred miles and six hours away.  He was right!)  Gabe had done, in less than five minutes, what neither of his two older sisters had ever attempted or desired to do in their entire lives.

About that time, our son arrived home to find Nicole outside by the pool area, weeping and shaking.  Immediately, he knew what happened when he saw the table by the gate.  As he comforted Nicole, Jamie assured her that he would put an additional, secondary lock on the gate, and together, they went in and explained to Gabe how dangerous the pool could be.  They impressed upon him how he needs to ask permission from them when he went out.  Nicole told him how it would break everyone’s heart if anything happened to him.  Gabe cried, as he told them how sorry he was and promised that he would never do it, again.

Later that night, as they prayed with him, thanking God for His great mercy in protecting Gabe, they assured him of how much they loved him and how the gates and locks were there only for his protection and his good.  As Jamie and Nicole left Gabe’s room, Gabe called out to his dad, Daddy, do you know what you need to do?  Jamie responded, No, and Gabe went on to say, You need to put another lock on that gate to keep baby Nora and me safe and away from that pool where we could get hurt!

Obviously, he had been thinking about doors, locks, and their functions in his young life, recognizing the great value that closed doors can sometimes have in keeping him from what he thought he wanted to do, completely unaware of the dangers that lurked in his seemingly harmless desire to fill his water gun.

How often have I tried to figure out ways to batter down doors which kept me from fulfilling a desire, a wish, a path, a way, believing it to block me from doing what was desirable, reasonable, even right?  Sometimes, the gate blocking my way may have been finances or abilities.  It may have been something as small as a traffic light turning red or road construction which kept me from arriving somewhere on time.  The gate keeping me out of where I wanted may have been as big as a physical illness or the loss of someone dear.  Most of the time, though, those impenetrable buttresses have been people - a boss, a family member, or a co-worker - who seem to stand in the way of my heart’s desire.

In retrospect, though, I have learned the same truth that Gabe is learning.  We have a Heavenly Father who loves us immeasurably, sometimes with open doors that no man can close, when we walk in the way that He has made open to us, and, at other times, with closed doors that no man can open, when we try to force ourselves into areas with unseen dangers (Revelation 3:7-8).  I am so grateful to have a Father who is willing to use people, places, and things to keep me from those places where I should not be, even when my will tries to force my way through the door that is closed or closing.  I am grateful that our Father protects our way with as many locks as necessary to keep us from dangers to which we are unaware or cannot see.  Try to open doors, but don’t force the locks!

© 2011 Gerry Sisk

(02/23/11)