When Following Jesus Might Seem Awkward at Times

Some years ago when our sons were much smaller, I was outside and began to step into the flowerbed to access the water faucet. Something made me hesitate before putting my foot down. By God’s mercy, I paused and looked down. There I saw a crawling creature of a venomous type with rattles on its tail. I would have stepped directly on top of it. I did not want to let it out of my sight. I began knocking on the window above me until one of my boys appeared, looking at me as if he questioned whether I had lost my mind. I gave him explicit instructions of what to bring to me immediately, and with a...