FOODFORTHOUGHT

 U TURNS

"Thanks for inviting me to go to church with you next Sunday, Uncle Al." Tim
and his uncle were on their way to Bonny Lake. They had heard the fishing
there was great. "I . . . I don't want to hurt your feelings," continued
Tim, "but . . . well . . . I'm not sure I want to get into this religious
stuff. Besides, Mom and Dad don't think it's a good idea."

"Oh?" asked Uncle Al in surprise. "I thought you said that your parents
wouldn't mind if you went with me. You sounded quite interested last week.
You even said the Gospel was beginning to make sense to you."

"Yeah, but since then I've done a lot of thinking," Tim said slowly. "I
don't think I feel like getting 'saved' right now. The crowd I hang around
with at school wouldn't understand, and I like being with them. Someday I'll
start going to church, but I think I'll just go on the way I am for a while.
I know I'm not perfect, but I'm not so bad, either."

Tim's uncle drove on silently for a few minutes. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed as
they passed a road sign. "I was so intent on our conversation that I missed
the turnoff! We should have gotten off this road five miles back!"

"Guess we'll have to turn around and go back now, huh?" asked Tim.

But Uncle Al shook his head. "I don't feel like turning around right now,"
he said. "I guess we'll just keep going this way. I kind of like this road,
and the scenery is nice."

Tim looked at his uncle in amazement. "But we have to turn around to get to
Bonny Lake," he protested, "and the longer we keep going this way, the
longer it will take to get back. If we wait too long to turn around, we
might not even get there in time to fish."

Uncle Al smiled at Tim as he slowed down for the next turn. "You're right,"
he said, "and what you said just now is exactly what I've been trying to
tell you about spiritual life . . . that when you're traveling down the
wrong road, the sooner you turn around, the better. If you wait too long,
you might never get to your goal: Heaven."

-- Author Unknown

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