Know the Drill

For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. (Hebrews 5:13-14, NLT)

My girls have been traveling since they were three months old. Currently, they are eight and ten years old. When they were younger, I had to instruct them how to maneuver through airports. I taught them how to stay hydrated, take advantage of every bathroom location, keep an eye on the monitors for flight changes, locate departure gates, and how to successfully get through security screenings.

On one occasion while in the Kauai airport, my scuba dive computer (which also serves as my watch) caused me to alert TSA and experience a pat down. I cannot define the joy of the experience as Mikea loudly protested with all the drama she could muster up, "She's innocent, she is innocent!" Although I found her antics quite amusing, the TSA agent did not. Thankfully, now Mikea understands there is a time and place for everything. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Through training, she now now skilled to know what to do…and what not to do, when dealing with TSA.

Helpful hint: TSA pat down is not the time for joking.

Traveling with an eight and ten year old is a whole lot easier than it was back when I had my baby in the front pack, while wearing a back pack full of baby supplies, and pushing my toddler in a stroller. I no longer have to instruct my girls step by step on airport travel. Through training, experience, and maturity they know the drill. Much in the same way, as we study God's Word, we grow from "milk to solid food" every day bringing us closer to knowing the drill (spiritual maturity). 

Traveling with an infant may be difficult, but that never kept me grounded. While my girls were infants, I front packed one, carried what they needed in my backpack, and pushed the other one in her stroller. Thankfully, I am not currently front packing an eight year old, they no longer need a backpack full of diapers, and I'm not pushing a ten year old in a stroller. But I didn't expect them to get out of the front pack, diapers, or stroller before the time had come. On the other side of that coin, I certainly taught them when and how to get out of the front pack, diapers, and stroller as they matured. 

It is through training that spiritual infants gain the skill  to know the difference between right and wrong. Spiritual infants must be taught how to stay well hydrated (John 4:14, John 7:37--38), take advantage of every bathroom location to dump what needs to be dumped…no pun intended, (Matthew 6:14, Luke 17:1), keep an eye on the monitors for flight changes, (Matthew 24:4), locate the gate (John 14:6), and how to easily get through security screenings (Matthew 24:42).

Lord God, thank You for calling us out of darkness into Your marvelous Light! Thank You for being forever faithful toward us and never slack! Thank You for surrounding us with favor as a shield! And thank You so much for placing the spiritual mature in our path to give us milk and then solid food at Your appointed time. And thank You for teaching us to not only hear but do what as Your Word instructs us. I pray for every reader right now, both the believers on milk and solid food. May the ones on milk rise up and receive training becoming skilled. May the ones on solid food be strong in You and the power of Your might! And may we all walk in everything You have called us to walk in, and never grow weary in doing good. I pray all these things in Your Son's name and I thank You for all things You are working right now together for our good!

1 Peter 2:9

2 Peter 3:9

James 5:16

Ephesians 6:10

Galatians 6:9

Romans 8:28