The Gingerbread Man

My childhood storybook collection was everything but comforting bedtime stories to lull me into a peaceful sleep. Little Red Riding Hood came face to face with the determined, hungry wolf dressed in her grandmother’s bedclothes ready to leap out of bed and eat her. The three little pigs ran for their lives from house to house with the wolf in hot pursuit. Prompted by their step mother, Hansel and Gretel were abandoned deep into the forest by their father only to be lured into the candy cottage belonging to the evil witch. My heart still skips a beat thinking about Hansel barely escaping being cooked in the oven. Oh my!

One book particularly frightened me. The Gingerbread Man was formed and baked to perfection. His creator then viewed her masterpiece and decided to eat him! He ran. The horse, the cow, the pig along with the old lady was in hot pursuit of the little gingerbread man until he came to the river. Seeing that the river was too big of challenge for him, he listened to the words of the deceptive fox. Accepting his lies as truth, he took them to heart and jumped on his tail. The waters deepened so he jumped higher onto the fox’s back. The fox said, “You are too heavy. I am tired. Jump onto my nose.” And then… that was it for the little gingerbread man.

We run from dangers and quickly try and readjust when our path comes to roadblocks or dead ends. We try and make decisions when to readjust our route and which way to turn. We want to get to our destinations the quickest way which is not always the safest way.

As my waters rise and I can’t see the road before me, I jump on my Lord’s strong shoulders. I am neither afraid nor deceived. Decisions are easier to make when lifted from the mire and stumbling blocks to view which direction I should go. I put my faith in Him to show me the way and move forward with confidence.