My mother, (grandmother Lucy) used to tell the story of her and dad coming home to Phoenix via a shortcut dad was convinced would take them directly in to Flagstaff and cut off many miles from the trip. As usual, they were hauling cattle in a horse trailer and eager to get home. They started out on a fairly well traveled, paved road; however, as time and miles went by the road turned into a gravel county road, then a mountain road, and finally a rutted ranch road ending abruptly at an old earthen dam. By this time it was dark, with nothing to do but forge ahead. About half-way across the dam all hope for crossing failed as had the dam. A flash flood had blown through the dam chewing a large jagged hole about twenty feet across. What to do?

Like hundreds of times before when dad had reached the point of no return and found an insurmountable obstacle, he turned to mother and said, “mom, pray us out of this one.” She did. They got out the trusty flashlight and with mom walking behind the truck and trailer with the flashlight and a prayer straight to heaven dad slowly, carefully, backed off the old dam to a place which was wide enough to turn around and they went back the many miles to the real road and home to Phoenix.

I have noticed that most of us get caught in just such messes time and time again. Whether it be a washed out road, a misjudgment in financial affairs, or our pathetically sad record of staying on the strait and narrow path and holding to the iron rod, we all seem destined to fall into these well traveled ruts over and over. My heart is heavy when I put my family at risk by doing something that can cause them harm. In reading scriptures this week I walked with a man named Jacob whose mission was to warn his people about getting away from the iron rod. The thing I was impressed with was his understanding of the roots of sin. He told the people that way before we do something that constitutes sin we play out the given deed in our minds.

Whether our ill conceived thoughts be in about sexual improprieties, physical harm to self, or others, or deceitful word games aimed at tearing away self respect and love, each begins with a negative blip to the mind. The thought burrows in, getting bolder, brasher, more intense, until it finds itself out in the open, played out for God and the world to see. As I review my life and the lives of others who have strayed from the iron rod (the word of God), I can easily trace the path taken. The humble advice I am now giving to myself is to avoid further unlit roads with eroded dams by keeping negative, ugly, or dangerous thoughts out of my mind. My sister, Lynda, used to use a psychological concept called “STOP.” Whenever I get notions that are going to cause me or my family to endure danger and evil, my job is to say STOP and force the nonsense out of my mind. Other tricks for eliminating Satan from my mind include singing a spiritual song, doing something that is very positive (mentally or physically). Anyone who wishes to follow these suggestions, please feel free and encouraged to do so. They are not mine. I am just passing them along.

God bless you as you travel the roads of life.

Duane Jacobs, Gpa Jacobs, Uncle, cousin, popsa, and wonderful friends