Brother Lee Tippetts
Sunday School President
In my more adventurous days about a month after I purchased a Kawasaki four wheeler, I took it to a road by Bloomington, and set off. The road turned into a nice trail as it led me into the Virgin River Gorge. As it happened, the nice little trail turned into the trail from Hell as it neared the top of the Gorge. I felt that I should turn around and in doing so I was pitched down hill,
off the machine. Looking up I could see a six hundred pound vehicle rolling in my direction. Putting my arm up over my head in a reactive manner, the four wheeler rolled over me and on down the hill and landing upside down, still running. I picked myself up and found out my arm didn’t work. In fact it wouldn’t do anything. With a broken arm and blood dripping down my face I started to walk out of the canyon towards my truck parked near Bloomington; later figuring about eight miles. I thought about calling search and rescue, but in the excitement had left the phone in the canyon. I had the sense to bring water but when needing to drink I had to sit down to put the water bottle against my body to take the cap off to drink since my other arm wouldn’t work. As I walked little rocks and pebbles would get in my open shoes making it very difficult to walk any distance insomuch I was wondering if I could make it.
Mohammed Ali said “it isn’t the mountain ahead to climb that wear you out it’s the pebble in your shoe”. This is referring to the everyday distractions that take us off course and keep us from seeing the bigger picture of our lives. Our life’s purpose might be the mountain ahead of us. Often it can be the little pebbles that keep us from acquiring true happiness. Bad habits and unnecessary behavior patterns and thoughts create anxiety, stress and disappointment, pebbles in our shoes that make the journey much more difficult.
About a half mile from the truck a biker picked me up deliver me to my vehicle. Good thing he put the tailgate up on the trailer and very good thing my vehicle was automatic. I asked him if he thinks I should go to hospital. He said yes you are pretty messed up.
May we be aware of the distracting pebbles in our lives so we can stay focused on the truly important.
