Draw the line

I went running yesterday out at a park by the place Scout takes Ballet (Stone Oak Park). I like running there because it is one of those places in the middle of the city that you wouldn't know you were in the city while you were there. I haven't run there since last spring until yesterday. I was going to go a few weeks ago but the day I was headed over there they actually had a fire that ran throughout the park. So honestly, I not only wanted to run there for its secludedness but I wanted to check out what the fire did. I parked, stretched, and took off. As I started to run, you could smell the burnt. I was surprised by this. I really expected to see more at first. The trailhead was in tact and the trees by the running trail seemed to be unharmed by the fire. I could see some places as I drove in that the fire touched but the first part of the trail I came across wasn't bad at all. In fact, I started to think, "what is the big deal?" I kept running and eventually about a half mile into the park I started seeing burnt trees to my right. The rocks were different. The cactus was bright yellow, at least what was left. I did notice these big tire ruts almost the size of ditches along the left side of the running trail. It was pretty obvious that this is where the fire fighters set up a line. The trees on one side of the trail were seemingly not touched by the fire. Even though less than 20 feet away entire sections of this park that were filled with brush, trees, cacti, and wildlife were barren with just ash and dirt. It was crazy to be running along this line of ash and burnt on one side and the park I was familiar with on the other.

I thought about this as I ran, How often do we need to make a line in the lives of our family. I thought about the story of Eli in the book of 1 Samuel. Eli had sons that he let run amuck using there father's position to cause all kinds of havoc in God's name. Eli never made the proverbial line in the sand. He waited on God to deal with his kids. At what point do we tell them, "okay you have to stop." So many times things will grow and grow and we don't want to dig our heals in. It is hard digging in, as I examined these ruts the fireman left they were huge. I know parents hate that time when kids are mad or pitching a fit and the easiest thing to do is give in. I tell you this dig in. If the firemen had not dug in there at the trail I was running on then an entire park could have been lost. Even worse, houses and lives could have been lost. We all have times in our lives that we have to stop and dig in. Eli never did this, it cost him his family. I pray that God gives you the strength to dig in.