Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
Feb. 22, 2012

“Living Between the Steps”
“When you walk, your steps will not be hampered...” – Proverbs 4:12 (NIV)

A professor was invited to speak at a military base and was met at the airport by an unforgettable soldier named Ralph. As they headed toward the baggage claim area, Ralph kept disappearing: Once to help an older woman with her suitcase: Once to lift two toddlers so they could see Santa Claus; and again to give someone directions. Each time he came back smiling. "Where did you learn to live like this?" the professor asked. "During the war," said Ralph. Then he told the professor about his duties in Vietnam. His job was to clear mine-fields, and he saw friends meet untimely ends, one after another, before his eyes. "I learned to live between steps," he said. "I never knew whether the next one would be my last, so I had to get between picking up my foot and putting it down again. Every successful step felt like a whole new world."
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Walking on eggshells.” The idiom walking on eggshells generally describes a situation in which people must tread lightly around a sensitive topic, or make every effort not to offend a volatile or hypersensitive person. Literally walking on eggshells would require exceptional caution and self-control, similar to the feeling of avoiding conflict with an easily disturbed friend, relative or employer. Family members of active alcoholics often describe their careful avoidance of conflict as "walking on eggshells."
The origin of the phrase is a matter of dispute, but the general consensus is that walking on eggshells came from the same place as other cautionary actions, such as walking on thin ice or broken glass. Some sources suggest that "walking on eggshells" came from an earlier idiom, "walking on eggs." While walking on eggshells presents enough difficulty for most people, walking on the whole egg without damage would be nearly impossible. Certain politicians who took extraordinarily cautious positions on an issue were said to have the dubious ability to walk on eggs without breaking them.
There is a big difference between “walking on eggshells” and using good judgment. There are situations where I know there are things I should not do—or words I should not say. That to me is not hampering my steps. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the wisdom of God at work. Without question—I would imagine that the goal of each of us is to get through this life with the least amount of hindrance as possible. That is the goal anyway, but most of us can testify to the fact that it often feels as if we are walking through a “mine-field,” anticipating the next step to be the one that blows up in our face. I like the illustration that I led with. An individual who realized that his next step could literally be his last. But it did not deter him from taking those steps! Realizing that not everything that happens to us in this life is pleasant or is a pleasurable experience—reminds us to just live “one step at a time” and allow the Creator to walk with you to protect your “heart” against those things that attempt to defeat it. I love the words to the song, “Step by Step.” It truly describes this very thing:
O God, You are my God, and I will ever Praise You O God, You are my God, and I will ever Praise You And I will seek You in the morning—and I will learn to walk in Your ways
And Step by Step You’ll lead me—and I will follow You all of my days.