Samantha was helping Dad fix the lamp in her bedroom.
"Now," Dad instructed her, "You always have to be very careful when
you're working with electricity, Sam."
He unscrewed the light assembly from
the base of the lamp, then slipped off the cardboard piece that covered the
wires and placed his screwdriver in one of the screws that held the wires
in place.
"Yeeoww!"
Samantha immediately saw sparks. "Daddy, are you all right?" she asked.
Dad shook his hand up and down in the air.
"Yeah, Sam, I'm fine." Dad looked behind Sam's bedside table,
then faced his daughter with sheepish expression.
"I forgot to tell you the most important thing to
remember when you're working with electrical things." He reached behind the
table and pulled the lamp's plug out of the wall outlet. "Always make sure
they are unplugged first!"
"Are you sure you're not hurt, Daddy?" Sam asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. But I could have been hurt. That's why you always
need to be careful with electricity."
"I don't think I like electricity," Sam said, only half joking.
"Sure you do," Dad said. "It's what powers your lights and your fan
and your CD player. But the same force that does all those things can hurt
you too. Electricity is a powerful force, Sam and in that respect it is a
lot like something else I want to talk to you about."
"Someday soon," Dad continued, "you're going to begin dating, and
you're going to start thinking about getting married, and so on. When you
do, I want you to remember that shock I just got. I want you to understand
that sexual intimacy is a lot like electricity. It's a powerful force, Sam,
and it can be a wonderful thing if you respect it and use it the way God
intended. But it can hurt you too. As long as sex is kept between husband
and wife, it's a beautiful and awesome thing. But if it's not between a
husband and wife, it's even more dangerous and harmful than electricity."
"OK, Dad," Sam said, with a twinkle in her eye. I'll remember that.
I don't want to get burned... like you did!"
PRAYER:
"God, help us to honor marriage and to treat it with respect and
care that it deserves. We acknowledge that sexual intimacy belongs in
marriage, not outside of it. In Jesus' name. Amen."
