No Regrets
How to Climb a Ladder
By Dean Honeycutt
Mitchell County
The kids would play ball or frisbee in the yard in front of the house. On occasion, the frisbee would land on the roof of the house and I would get the ladder to climb on the roof and retrieve the frisbee so my children could continue playing. My children have seen me on a ladder dozens of times. What may seem like an easy task for a grown man may be a challenge for a child.
One day while I was at work the kids were out in the yard playing frisbee and as usual, the frisbee landed on the roof. Not wanting to wait until I got home, they convinced Pam they could get the frisbee on their own. We have seen dad do this and we can handle it. Two small children struggling with an extension ladder is not easy, but after seeing me do it so many times they were convinced they would soon have the frisbee in their hands. They had a plan Melissa would hold the ladder and Tyler would climb the ladder get on the roof and get the frisbee.
Of course, this adventure is being told to me when I got home from work. After a few attempts, they finally manage to get the ladder on the roof. Tyler looks at the ladder suspiciously thinking something does not look right. But after some coaxing from big sister about being scared to climb the ladder off he goes taking each step with caution. About halfway up the ladder Tyler is now definitely convinced something is wrong. Instead of climbing up the ladder in a vertical posture, he is crawling up the ladder and his face and belly are facing the ground below. This does not look like the way dad climbs up a ladder. This whole time Pam is inside watching the fiasco just to see what they would do. Tyler knew that he should not be looking at the grass while climbing a ladder and made his way back to safety. By this time mom knows she must intervene and help them set up the ladder the correct way. After which my son climbs onto the roof and retrieves the frisbee.
There is a right way and a wrong way to go about things. My children tried to solve a problem on their own. They had the will and desire to retrieve the frisbee and they did not give up. I thank the Lord they had the desire to “take the bull by the horns” and with a little help from mom, they accomplished their goal. Success always feels good, and accomplishments bring confidence. Parents must set a Godly example before their children.
Like children, we often fail miserably even when we try to do things the right way. But we will never succeed unless we try. It is often said if I am not part of the solution then I am part of the problem. If I am not coming up with solutions or actions to solve a problem or make something work out for everyone involved, then my neglect or bad attitude becomes part of the problem. I want to give my children every opportunity to succeed and thrive in their Christian life. Sometimes they will get knocked down, but it is the wise parent who lifts their child up, dusts them off, and sets them back on the right path.
Not every adolescent or young adult is eager to have their parents’ guidance and things done halfway will never bring complete satisfaction because the other half of the problem is not dealt with. The young adult keeps trying “to climb the ladder” the wrong way and things are not working out the way they had expected. Sometimes parents must have patience and allow their child to fail. Sometimes it is in our failures that we find our greatest success.
Parents are often eager to jump in and solve a problem for their child without first allowing the child to experience success or failure. Failure is okay if we can take that failure and turn it into something positive and productive. God does not like to see us fail, but sometimes we are allowed to fail so we can experience the grace and mercy of a loving Father. Like a loving parent, God will come along beside us and show us where we missed up and then place us back “on the ladder” to try again.
May the Lord bless you and encourage you as we help our children “climb the ladder”. Each rung of the ladder is a step-in life and what is the goal? The goal is to stand before God one day as a child of God and hear those words “well done my good and faithful servant.”
Many blessings
Pastor Dean Honeycutt.
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Pastor Dean Honeycutt shepherds Snow Hill Baptist Church in Bakersville, NC. He may be reached at 828-385-0213, snowhillbaptist@gmail.com, or visit their website at www.snowhillbaptist.com.
You can read more good Christian news from Dean HERE.
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