Eyes Wide Shut

"That's gonna be bad."  Those were the words Josh mumbled as he witnessed Ava run headfirst into the corner of a metal post.  I looked up just in time to see her bounce off of it and fall backwards onto the concrete.  

Sunday evening was gorgeous.  The weather was perfect for a fall walk into town, so we decided to make an event of it and eat out too.  Ah, what a great night...hanging out with my four favorite people, enjoying the beauty of autumn, not having to cook.  What could be better?  How about a trip to the emergency room?

We live alongside the river and have to cross a bridge to get into town.  Getting to the bridge itself is a significant achievement during our family walks.  It means two things: we are about halfway to wherever we are going, and the kids can let go of our hands and walk by themselves.  The bridge has a nice pedestrian sidewalk that is walled off from traffic, so this allows the kids a bit of freedom.  They like to look down at the water, run ahead, or race each other from flagpole to flagpole.  Tonight, Ava thought it would be a great idea to run...with her eyes closed.  

She hardly made it fifteen feet when she collided face first into the pole.  As daddy scooped her off the sidewalk, the blood began to gush.  She had an inch long gash straight down her forehead.  Josh quickly whipped out his handkerchief and I held it tightly against the wound.  By the looks of it, this was probably going to need more than a Band-aid.  I sat down on the sidewalk and held Ava, Piper was in her stroller and Isaac huddled between us as Josh ran back home to get the van.  As we waited we prayed and tried to comfort Ava.  Isaac gently held her arm as she cried.                 
When Josh returned we tossed the kids into the van and came home.  We thought it might be best to get a good look at this cut before rushing off to the hospital.  Maybe it wasn't as bad as we thought.  But as we laid her down and uncovered her head we could literally see her skull!  Josh and I glanced at the cut, looked at each other and announced in unison, "everybody back in the car!"  
Between sobs, Ava moaned, "I wish this never happened to me."

The aftermath.  When paired with a string of beads,
even a head wound can look classy.

It turns out that a little Super Glue and a few Steri-Strips were enough to close the wound.  By the time it was said and done, the nurse gave her a popsicle and Ava announced, "I'm sure glad we got to come here!"
Yes, we could have had a popsicle at home, but this was so much better, huh?  

Ava has learned her lesson though.  No more running with her eyes closed.  Too bad she had to learn the hard way.  But what can I say?   She takes after her mother.  I  too have had to learn this lesson the hard way.

I can't tell you how many times I have ran with my eyes closed.  I make blind decisions all the time and seldom look before leaping.  Because of this, I have tripped and stumbled, I've even  fallen down a few times. But usually, I just run straight into a ton of trouble.  

Scripture tells us that God's Word is a lamp lighting our path.  You see, most people don't particularly enjoy fumbling around in the darkness.  Yet, many of us do it anyway because seeking God's advise takes time and patience.  God may even want us to travel paths we don't desire to tread.  So, we close our eyes and convince ourselves that surely we can manage without his help.  We run into the darkness hoping for the best.  
This is fine if the terrain of life is smooth and straight.  But let me assure you that life is not often so easily navigated.  Sometimes all it takes is a aptly placed metal pole to remind us just how nice it is to travel with our eyes open and a handy lamp to light the way.