Proverbs – Lead Me Not Into Temptation
Continuing my discussion of the proverbs and sayings Amish parents use to raise their children, I’d like to share one I ran across during my research for The Heart’s Frontier (Co-authored with Lori Copeland, and available NOW!) In the course of the story the main Amish character, Emma Switzer, comes upon a very tempting sight – cowboy hunk Luke Carson stripped to the waist in a stream attempting to save some waterlogged cattle. Guilt smites Emma as she looks on the sight of Luke’s bare chest, and …
Maummi’s saying repeated in her mind like a mantra. Keep your eyes cast down until the Lord raises them. She knew for a fact that the Lord would not approve of her staring at Luke’s half-clad body, so she kept her back turned, standing in front of Maummi. Lord, lead me not into temptation.
I got a huge kick out of that scene. The picture of Emma standing on the shore of a wide river, trying hard to keep her back turned to the sight of Luke waist-deep in the water. Oh, how hard it is at times to keep yourself from temptation. Emma’s grandmother would be proud, though. Her proverb gave Emma strength!
All humor aside, I do think that proverbs, scriptures and often-repeated prayers come to our aid at appropriate times. That’s one reason it’s important to memorize scripture. I can sometimes hear my grandmother’s voice reciting a well-known Bible verse, just as Emma hears her Maummi’s voice. I hope I can pass on a legacy like that to my grandchildren.
Do you have proverbs or verses that come to mind at just the right time? I’d love to hear about them!
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Wow…another great book…..that I can hardly wait to read……babyruthmac16@yahoo.com
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