“Okay,
here are the rules,” Marty said. “You can do whatever you
want, wherever you want,whenever you want until
someone tells you no.”
Those
were our instructions on our first visit to our friends’ lake house. Marty and
his wife, Lynn, who enjoy entertaining, give their guests lots of freedom to
enjoy themselves. When we noticed the sailboat next to the paddleboat next to
the pontoon boat, we knew we were in for a fun afternoon.
Marty
told us no only once—when he saw that we were about to feed the swans that swam
up next to us. He knew that if the birds were fed once, they would become
aggressive if they didn’t get fed the next time.
Adam and
Eve lived in the most beautiful locale, and they too had lots of freedom.
However, when God said no, they resisted (Gen. 3). He told them not to eat from
a certain tree, but they thought they knew better.
Adam and Eve would have kept good company with a lot of us. Sometimes we can’t understand why our heavenly Father says no. When that happens, He can help us to adjust our thinking. We need to realize that even as He denies us, He’s saying to our hearts, “You can trust Me. I know what is best.”
