We all do dumb things.

No this isn't a Geico commercial, but I wish it was. What it really is .. is a reminder that some of life's lessons can be painful for us.

So while my wife was gone, I decided to take on some of those chores that I never seem to get to when she's home. Since it was such a nice day yesterday, I wanted to work outside. And I thought I would do the nastiest chore first, which was put a skirt on my bay window. After gathering up all the supplies I would need and rolling out all the tools, I realized I was still too short to reach the window. I have a 36' ladder which was too long because the height was only about 12 feet. I have a 16' ladder but the railing of the stairway under the window prevented me from putting it up against the house. The window was just out of reach. So I set up my step ladder (8 feet tall) at the bottom of the steps. And I put a 5 gallon bucket on the steps at about the same height as the top ladder. (Did I mention I was afraid of heights?) I put across a 2x 14 plank and after making sure the bucket was very steady and stable, I cautiously stepped up.

It was safe so I went ahead and framed in the skirt and nailed up the trim and attached the clapboard. All I had left to do was put the caulking in the gaps. All day long I had cautiously stepped up and down on the plank from the side being ever cautious of it and the danger. But someone called me and to answer the phone, I had to come to the top of the steps. Because I was so afraid of the plank, the phone rang 3 times before I was able to get to it. By that time, they had given up on me. Caller ID did not tell me who called, and being distracted as to who might have called, I stepped back onto the plank on my way down the steps. Stepping onto the plank from the side is very safe, but stepping onto the plank while coming down the steps is crazy.

So, of course, I fell. A leg bash, arm bash, and head bash later, I found myself laying on the ground wondering, "What did I do wrong today?" And it's amazing how clear your head is when you smash it against a bucket. I saw clearly that I should have done this with someone else present to take me to the hospital. I saw clearly that I should not have allowed myself to be distracted. And I also saw clearly that I could have avoided the whole problem if I used the right equipment. And of course, as soon as I realized all these things, I knew I had a bulletin. .

So let's compare this to sin. Often times with sin, we get very close to danger but then we step away from it without being hurt. We're aware of the danger. We're afraid of the danger. And we avoid the danger by being careful. But then we get distracted and we step into sin. And we fall. And it hurts. And if we're all alone, there is no one to help us get back up. In fact we could die, being all alone. A friend may not prevent me from slipping, but he could have helped me keep from being distracted and come to my aid quickly if he was there with me. And sometimes, once we're in sin, like the prodigal son, we see clearly. But we have to hit the ground hard first sometimes. It's terrible that it has to be that way sometimes. It really hurts. So I did what the prodigal son did. I sought out help. In fact I'm not typing this today. Tom is. (Hi)

I could say this is Deniese's fault for leaving. I could sue the ladder company for letting me hurt myself. Maybe it's Robert Melanson's fault for findinf the guy to sell me the bay window that started the whole thing. Or maybe I could suck it up and admit my own mistakes and let you all learn a lesson from me. Falling off a ladder is a lot like sin. It hurts when I do that. So don't do that.

Randy