The Things We Would Never Do

For the last year, Lydia has gone horseriding every Thursday at Riding for the Disabled. But we missed the last two weeks. The first week, Lydia and I both had the flu, so I rang them and told them we couldn't come because we were sick. The next week we were better, but Johan and I cook a lunch for elderly people one thursday a month and it fell on this week. If you can't make it to horseriding, you are supposed to let them know. Otherwise, they get your horse ready and stand there waiting for you to come. There are times I've seen this happen, and I've always thought, 'That's really unthoughtful to not let them know. I would never do that!'
So during the week, I thought, 'I need to ring horseriding to let them know we can't come this Thursday.' But I thought, 'I'll just ring on Thursday morning, since that's when they're there.' Thursday came and went. It was a busy day with cooking the lunch. On Friday morning before school, I was looking at the calender for some reason and I saw horseriding written on one of the days. Suddenly I remembered I had never rung them. I felt really bad, and I straight away rang them and left a message to say I was so sorry I had forgotten to ring. But I didn't only feel bad, I felt very humbled! I had done what I thought I would never do.
Are there things you think that you would never do? Big things or little things? Shameful things or less significant things?
There are many things I think that I would never do. And yet, as I found out in a small way last week, I have the capability to do them.
Tonight I read my children the story of Peter denying Jesus. Before Jesus was arrested, Jesus said to the disciples...
All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad...
Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
Jesus unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.
Likewise also said all the disciples.
You know the rest of the story. When Jesus had been arrested, three different people said to Peter, "You're one of Jesus friends." In the heat of the moment, Peter denied that he even knew Jesus three times. The thing he said he would never do.
Peter was not as strong as he thought. He was mortified when the rooster crowed and he realized what He had done.
We are not as strong as we think. We are capable of doing all the things that we would NEVER do. This is the reason we need God so much. This is the reason we need to pray and stay close to God. This is the reason we need to make time to spend with God each day. This is the reason we need to be humble and dependent on God.
Before Peter denied Jesus, Jesus said to the disciples, Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
And when Jesus taught the disciples to pray earlier, part of the prayer was And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:...
We also need to pray for our husband, our children, our family members and church leaders. They are all capable of doing the things they would never do. We all need prayer to stay close to the only One who is strong enough.