Getting carried away

by Gordon Lean

It happens. At times we all go farther on a project than we originally intended. For instance, when my accountant informed me that the government would be sending me a refund of all the income tax money they had taken from me last year, we decided to purchase an outdoor patio set, umbrella and all. Just to keep the economy rolling, you understand. However, on realizing that my back lawn sloped considerably down from the house, I said to my wife, "I'll have to build a deck."

At first I planned to do something about 12 feet by 12, but the square look didn't do anything for me, so I decided to go to 12 by 14. At the lumber yard, they informed me that I'd be losing two feet on every board because the planks came in 16-foot lengths. So I decided to go 12 by 16, and I justified my decision with the tongue-in-cheek remark, "Life is short, and eternity is long."

Well, after I'd treated all the boards, levelled and framed them together, I ended up with a sizable expanse, level with the living room floor. I was justly proud of my creation. My spouse took one look at the finished product and breathed, "That's not a deck. . . . It's a battleship!"

It's hard to be balanced in everything. Some parents give to their children to the extent that they become spoiled. Others are so heavy into discipline that they provoke their children to anger. Some lose control of their lives and are governed by habits that will some day ruin them. To some, money is merely useful; to others, it becomes so important that the desire for it drags them down and causes them all kinds of trouble.

So I went overboard a bit with my deck. Who doesn't get carried away at times? My wife should be glad I didn't attempt a landing dock. It probably would have spanned two continents!

When I think of someone getting "carried away", my musings invariably turn to God, in spite of the fact that what He did for us was planned before the world was. His love for us all was so great that He gave us the greatest treasure He had--His only Son. Through that wonderful Son He provides forgiveness, and He grants abundant and eternal life to those who trust Him. Now, that's going overboard!

Gordon Lean is a writer from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.

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