Summary: Sarah almost bumped into her mother whenMom stopped short as they walked on the bike path near their home. Sarah started to say something, but she noticed the shushing finger her mother held to her lips. Mom pointed to the side of the trail a little ahead of them. A small animal was standing in the tall grass. At first Sarah thought it was a cat, but then she saw the white stripe. As Sarah gasped softly in surprise, Mom looked at her and grinned. They both stood still for an extra minute or two after the skunk had disappeared into the weeds along the bike path. Then they started walking again, but they still didn't talk for a few minutes. When Sarah was sure the skunk was far behind them, she let out a relieved giggle. "Wow! That was a close one!" she exclaimed. Mom smiled her agreement. "Sorry I stopped short in front of you," she apologized, "but I didn't want to get any closer to that smelly little critter!" "That's okay," said Sarah. "I sure wouldn't want to get sprayed by that skunk! I'm glad you stopped so we could wait for him to get away from the path." As they walked along, Sarah could tell Mom was thinking hard. Mom's going to come up with a lesson we can learn from what happened, thought Sarah. She smiled when Mom looked over and said, "You know, that skunk reminds me of something." "I thought it might." Sarah grinned. "You've thought of a Bible lesson for me, haven't you?" "For both of us," Mom replied. "I was just thinking that we could compare that skunk to sin, or perhaps to temptation. When some people face a temptation or see a sinful situation in front of them, they just keep heading right for it." "I know what you mean," agreed Sarah. "Sometimes when I hang out with friends, somebody suggests we should do something bad--like disobey or lie or cheat. I have to admit there have been times when I went along with those kinds of things. From now on, I'll try to remember that skunk and turn away from places or situations where I'd be tempted to do wrong." "Good," said Mom, "and I will, too. Avoiding sin is even more important than avoiding that smelly little creature." How About You? Are you careful to stay away from sin? The Bible says that a prudent (smart or wise) person sees danger in a situation and avoids it, but a foolish person keeps going and suffers for it. Which kind of person are you? Be wise. Avoid places where you'll be tempted to do something wrong, and spend time with people who honor God and His values. Whenever you are tempted, stop and think about what God would want you to do. Today's Key Verse: A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished. (Proverbs 22:3) Today's Key Thought: Avoid sinful situations
