Hazards

On the road for the past week I noticed all kinds of hazards on the way. Most of the things I might have identified as hazardous never materialized. A puddle on the road could send us hydroplaning off the road. What if I had hit that metal gutter that lay in the middle of the causeway? That guy on the motorcycle cut in front of me just a little too close. A woman drove by and as I looked I noticed her passenger, a mother with a baby on her lap, was in the front seat without a seatbelt. Her two year old was perched on her lap ... a deathtrap waiting to happen. I have been known to be overcautious at times ... but there are hazards everywhere. In my opinion it's better to recognize them than to slide through life oblivious to the dangers around. I wonder how aware we are of the dangers that await us on our spiritual journey? I know we are aware of them after they have afflicted us ... all too aware. Like pools of water on roads and trash laying on the highway, we see the dangers but are so willing to take unnecessary risks. A visit to a dubious website, a rented movie that we're hoping no one will see us with, an unplanned stop at the home of a 'friend' who may lead us down the wrong path - all hazards that practically have yellow blinking lights all over them. The hidden hazards come unexpectedly ... but are they really all that unexpected? Are we using the information we have from our experiences and the Word to help us avoid the hazards, or do we judge some hazards to be worth the risk? I'm not sure the hazards are hidden ... except in our willingness to be blind to them.