ESCAPE FROM THE ROUTINE

My name is Kevin and what I am about to tell you is something that actually happened one night while I was working. I am a senior at Tyler High School and I have a part-time job to earn some extra cash for spending.

4:00 AM--- I was busy on the floor of the discount store working methodically to open the boxes of items on pallets that need to be put on the shelf. It wasn’t easy being on the late night shift and the work was tedious and monotonous. Music played through the store to help lift everyone’s attitude. The time between 3:00 and 4:00 was the hardest time of all. It simply was hard to stay awake.

I had worked hard to keep everything organized and with only a couple of hours to finish my shift I was looking forward to getting home. Most of the furniture boxes had been stocked and I was almost finished when I heard the sound. The clip, clop, clip, clop sound resonated on the linoleum floor and seemed out of place. I didn’t check to see what was going on for a while but after still hearing the noise, I became curious. Just as I walked into the center aisle I saw the most bizarre picture. I still can’t believe what I saw.

Two young men sat atop chestnut mares and were making their way down the aisle of the store. Both of the men looked to be about 21 and they were riding and laughing as if what they were doing was normal. Horses? In a discount store? You have got to be kidding? Yet, here it was right before my eyes. It took a moment for the shock to wear off.

I tried to figure exactly why the horses were in the store and I came up with four possibilities. Perhaps the young men had been challenged by their peers to pull this stunt just to prove that they could do it. Maybe it was part of a college fraternity initiation rite. There was the chance that they were on drugs and actually didn’t realize exactly what they were doing. The only other possibility was they both decided to do something “wild” just for fun and to see if they could get away with it. No matter what the reason, I stood there in astonishment as the team headed back towards the rear doors and then disappeared.

Everyone on the night staff began to talk about the incident. Most everyone had reacted with shock just like me. By now, everyone was laughing. It just didn’t seem plausible that something like this could happen. The manager had made his way to the back of the store where the loading docks were located. The floor manager had walked around the store trying to get everyone focused on their task. Boxes had to be opened and merchandise had to be shelved before the morning crew arrived.

The police had been notified of the prank and came into the store to ask questions. It was rather obvious that the officers on duty were not amused by the antics. The two pranksters had to be apprehended and held accountable for their actions. They questioned the manager and anyone else who may have seen the horses either come into the store or exit. This matter was no longer funny. It was serious and several items had to be taken into consideration so that the details of the story were accurate.

What could have been a peaceful night turned into a hectic scene that had consequences for many people. The risks that these two young men took put the safety of everyone in the store in jeopardy. Health concerns had to be dealt with and it was no small task cleaning up before more customers arrived. (Thankfully, I wasn’t part of the clean-up crew!) Adrenaline had taken over and I was fully awake. My intentions of leaving the store and going home to relax wouldn’t happen, at least for a while.

We all have times when we do things that are amusing. We say something in jest or fail to take things seriously. You tease someone without thinking how your words hurt the individual. You get mad while driving and dash out into traffic cutting off another driver ahead of you. You decide to drive through someone’s lawn because you’re angry. You ride with your friends in the country and go along the side of the road knocking down mailboxes. You take a chance at hiding items that you picked up in a store just to see if you can get away with it. No matter what the prank, it may seem insignificant at first but later on it becomes a problem. Dealing with the consequences may be harder than you thought

From a spiritual aspect, we may scoff at what Christians represent and reject the Bible as the Word of God. We may refuse to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. We may feel that there is plenty of time to make a decision to serve Christ and delay taking action to serve Him. We may even think that the principles in the Bible do not directly apply to us. In Luke 6:25b we are admonished “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” In the context of the Scripture, Jesus is reminding the rich that pleasures and riches here on earth will not be enough to keep them in heaven. A Christian is certainly allowed to have fun but not at the expense of others. In the end, we will all have to stand before Him and give an accounting for the way we have lived our life. Look carefully at your life and be sure that part of your routine is spending quality time with the Lord. When you stay focused on Him, others will notice a difference. Your walk through life will guide you in the right direction where you can be a testimony to others who are seeking guidance. Can you commit to walking daily with Him?