Five Second Rule
“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12
I was in a school setting not too long ago, and one of my first graders dropped something edible on the floor. She reached down, picked it up, and popped it in her mouth before I could stop her. Then she looked up at me with her big brown eyes and proclaimed, “5 second rule.” That meant she could eat it if it hadn’t been on the ground more than 5 seconds. I laughed and walked on.
How many times in life do we wait 5 seconds, or 5 minutes, or 5 days, or sometimes even 5 months to pick up something we drop? If it’s Spring time cleaning, we might find something we dropped 5 years ago and failed to pick it up. It’s procrastination. It’s called laziness. It’s called life is too busy.
When Mom or Dad came into my room as a child to wake me for school, it didn’t take me more than 5 seconds to jump out of bed and into my school clothes. I was at the breakfast table within 5 minutes. I was out the door in fifteen. I loved school and hated to waste one minute lagging behind anyone. I ran everywhere I went at top speed. I loved to run the race set before me. Even in college I ran over people to get to class on time.
Well, guess what? I got to old to run anymore. But I still drop things on the ground and have to pick them up. But I don’t fuss about that. The multiple amount of exercise for this older person is one thing that keeps me healthy, just bending over to pick up what I drop!
When my Heavenly Father wakes me up in the morning, or even from taking a much needed nap, it still doesn’t take me long to get ready and be wherever I’m supposed to be on time. Recently, I made a vow to Him to be even better at my timing. I asked Him to help me to be a little early. So now when He wakes me up before the alarm goes off, I realize He wants me to be early to wherever I am going. I have formed a habit to limit myself to the 5 second rule. Wake up, stretch for 5 seconds, get up, get dressed, and be ready for the day.
I remember one morning I woke up, got up and dressed for the day, went in to do the dishes and put in a load of clothes to wash. I finally looked at the clock and realized it was only two o’clock, in the morning. I sat down, went back to sleep and woke up at 8.
That day was a little extreme. But the timing was still in God’s hands. He is in control of life. I pray He will always be in control of mine.
When the day of the Rapture happens, I won’t even have 5 seconds. He will call my name, and in 19-hundredths of a second, I’ll be Home forevermore. He will change me in the twinkling of an eye. He will give me a new white robe to wear. He will give me a crown of righteous I will get to lay in worship at my Saviour’s feet. All of my seconds will be gone from this life, and I will not have a time limit any more for all eternity.
And not only all that, I will never be afraid to pick up anything off the Street of Gold or any part of the grounds in Heaven to eat something I have dropped. Because, you see, there will be no 5 second rule in Heaven. Nor are there any germs, sin, or ruin in Heaven. Jesus paid it all to keep sin out of our new Home.