Sequences

Patrick McManus writes a very funny story about Sequences. Basically, he wants to do something fun, like fishing, but there is a small obstacle in the way, like needing a higher test fishing line. However, in order to clear the obstacle he gets sucked into a sequence of events and never actually gets to go fishing at all. His wife wants him to pick something up in town when he goes to get the line, but in order to do that he has to return a post hole digger that he borrowed, but he hasn’t finished using it because he needs to borrow a tool from his neighbor to help with the project, but in order to do that he has to… you get the idea. In the end, he avoids the Sequence altogether and just goes fishing with the line he already has. It really is worth reading the whole story. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and the other books by Laura Numeroff are great children’s examples of Sequences.

Now, Sequences happen here all the time. This is especially true for us, since we farm. 90% of farming is working on the equipment, or tinkering. As any farm wife knows, 90% of tinkering is just staring at the thing. And it is always going to take four times longer for the men to complete the project than their initial estimated time frame. If they say it will take about an hour and then they can be back to help you hang that shelf before lunch, save yourself the nagging and just hang it yourself. And don’t start lunch until you see the whites of their eyes because they aren’t going to be back (it invariably involves a trip to Farm & Fleet) until after two o’clock and by then they will have already stopped somewhere for a “quick bite”, all without bothering to give you a heads-up. (But I digress…)
Granted, they can’t help it. It’s the Sequence’s fault. Even if you don’t farm, I’m sure you can relate. Your child needs to read a book about Abraham Lincoln, so you’re going to take him to the library to get one. But he has a science book due tomorrow and since you’d rather not make two trips, you’ll have him finish that book first. But he also needs that book to make a poster for an assignment and you don’t have any poster board…

These are innocent examples, but many times, Sin is the same way. One small thing that you did leads you to lie about it, which in turn leads to something else and before you know it a swirling vortex has opened at your feet and you feel helplessly sucked in. “But each person is tempted when he is lured by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14, 15)
In my Bible, I have written by this passage:

• Sin will always take you farther than you wanted to go.
• It will keep you longer than you planned to stay.
• It will demand more than you wanted to give.
• It’s “rewards” will last shorter than you thought.
  
  Beware of Sequences!