Escape Plan

"Sarah, Lynn, you need to start packing," Mom said. "The hurricane has turned and is heading this way. They're evacuating the barrier islands."Sarah quickly jumped into action and started packing, but Lynn began to cry. "I'm scared!""It's going to be okay, Lynn," said Mom. "We'll be gone before the storm hits. We'll follow the escape plan and head north to Grandma and Grandpa's house."Once the car was packed and the house was boarded up, they got on the road. The traffic leaving the islands was already backed up for miles. It was going to take a while to reach the mainland, and from there it would take another four hours to get to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Good thing Lynn and Sarah packed a lot of toys.When they finally arrived, the girls gave each of their grandparents a big hug and then ran into the backyard to play. It felt good to be out of the car and running around again.The next day when Grandpa was watching the news, Sarah and Lynn saw the damage the storm was doing as it ripped through the islands. Then it showed footage of people being rescued from rooftops."I thought everyone had to leave the islands," Sarah said."They were supposed to, but some chose to stay," said Grandpa.Lynn frowned. "Why didn't they escape when they had the chance?""Some probably chose not to heed the warnings. Others probably didn't have a way to leave." Grandpa turned off the TV. "Did you know there's one situation where we always have the option to escape? The Bible says that whenever we're tempted to sin, God provides a way out.""He gives us an escape plan out of temptation?" asked Sarah.Grandpa nodded. "We have a choice to make whenever we're tempted to do something that's wrong. Do we choose God's escape plan and use the power He gives us to say no to sin, or do we choose to give in to the temptation and then face the consequences of our bad choices?""Well, I sure am glad Mom and Dad got us safely off the island before the hurricane hit," Sarah said."Me too!" said Lynn. "And next time I'm tempted to do something wrong, I want to follow God's escape plan." -Lisa Fuller