Walking the path

(4-minute read)

When I was in high school, my parents got a call from the school wanting to see them. They insisted that my mother and father attend the meeting and that I should not attend. I took that as a bad sign. When my parents returned home, my father came to my room and said, “I was expecting to go to your school and be told that you were running with the wrong crowd. But they told me you are the wrong crowd with which other students are running.”

I didn’t think that was true. I was the youngest person in the gang I ran with, and they rarely took my suggestions on what to do. I did have some influence, but they also influenced me. It’s the way it is with kids and their friends. It’s also the way it is with adults and their friends. Friends influence adults far more than they realize.

When I returned home from the Navy and started dating, my mother gave me some advice. She said, “There are two kinds of girls. One makes men out of little boys, and the other makes little boys out of men. Always choose the first and run from the second.” My mother was right, but I could rarely tell about a girl when we first started dating. Fortunately, when I did get married, I picked the right one.

For example, I’d been successful at my work. We had the big house and new cars and weren’t pressed for money. One day, they were reorganizing the company. They wanted to shift me to a new job where I was very experienced and would make more money.

As soon as my boss told me about the changes, I felt the Lord speak to my heart and say, “Don’t take that job. Quit.”

I needed to talk to my wife. This wasn’t just about me; I needed her help to figure out if this was the voice of the Lord. Even if I knew absolutely that it was God, I knew she would want to be in on the adventure from the start. If I’m wrong, doing this is crazy.

I asked my boss, “Before I accept that new position, can I think about it and tell you tomorrow?”

He was shocked but said, “Yes.” He told me that he and the other managers were going out to eat and would leave a message with the desk where I could meet up with them later that night.

As soon as I could get away from the meeting, I called my wife, who happened to be at church. We quickly discussed it on the phone, and my wife, Jo, said, “If you think it’s the Lord, I think you should do it.”

I said, “If I’m wrong, this will be a financial disaster. Actually, if I’m right, it will probably be a financial disaster.”

Jo said, “Right or wrong, God is on our side.”

I told Jo, “This would be a lot easier if God would give me a sign, such as my boss telling me to meet him at a strip club.”

When we finished talking, I decided I would go ahead and quit. I went down to the desk to find out where my boss was. The desk clerk gave me a note, and my boss wanted me to meet him at a strip club. I turned and went back to my room and went to bed. The following day, I quit.

Jo’s influence on me makes me a better person. She helps me follow the Lord even when it’s difficult. She has that influence on everyone that knows her.

It’s not always apparent in what she says or does. Our son, who had never had a problem in school, began having problems with his grades and didn’t seem as happy as he used to be. Jo quit her job to be home when he got out of school in case he needed her. Our son almost immediately seemed to become happier, and his grades went back up. Neither Jo nor I had any idea of what she had actually done to make the difference. If I analyze all those times I’ve watched her do it, she’s one of those people who makes men out of boys and women out of girls. She does it by helping them find out what they think is their best self and what they want to be like in this life. She then encourages them to be that. She effectively gives them permission to be wonderful.

I’m trying to be more like Jo. May God help me be that kind of an influence on others.