Danger: Stay Away!

The water craft appears two times a year on the lake.  It comes when ice is off the lake and appears again after Labor Day.  It is the buoy boat with stacked up red and white buoys like British soldiers waiting to be thrown overboard with cement block and cable attached to the buoy.

The boat occupants pour over maps where to place the buoys over rocks and reefs alerting boaters to stay away.  The four foot plastic canisters are dropped off by islands, along mainline shores and in deep channels of the lake.

If a buoy breaks loose and wanders away, a quick phone call by a lake resident brings the water craft back with a replacement.  During the summer, boaters give the buoys a wide berth when passing them.  The floating buoy says: “Danger – Stay Away.”

Often we share with friends and families the good influence in our lives.  Seldom do we warn them to stay away from dangers to one’s body, mind and spirit.  There are practices that can be harmful to the body, toxic to the mind and corrosive to one’s spirit?  One’s faith can suffer a bruising. 

No, I am not advocating rushing about saying, “Do that” and “Don’t do that” like a neighborhood moral watch group.  

I can recall that some of the dumbest things I did in my life where filled with good intentions.  A word of caution may have caused me to reconsider. 

 Sometimes words of caution can be helpful, “Do you want to do that?”  “What do you see as the consequences?”  “Be careful what you do.”

  

Scripture: “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say ‘Look, here it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”  Gospel of Luke

 

                                    

 

   -Dan Schmiechen