Discretion Will Protect You | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Discretion Will Protect You | Previous Challenge Entry
By Roy Proctor
07/17/16
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I will never forget my experience as a parent volunteer for our church youth retreat. We partnered with another church for a week-long retreat. As a middle aged man, I had forgotten what my youth years were like. “Why can't they just walk from one place to another,” I asked myself. “I don't seem to fit in this. Why did I come.”

There were several parent counselors from the other church, one of which was Sharon, an attractive middle-aged woman. She was a very good conversationalist, so we naturally connected with each other after each meal when people usually talk. By the middle of the week our personal conversations had pulled away from others in the group. There were no perceived difficulties with our frequent exclusive conversations. After all we were both Christians enjoying our role as parent counselors at a Christian camp.

There was one thing about Sharon. One could tell by her comments that she felt neglected by her husband and that their relationship had become boring. I asked myself one of the most dangerous questions a married man could entertain regarding another woman, “How could any guy let such an interesting woman like this become bored?” 
 
The camp director did well to plan activities to keep youth active and interested. One activity in the hot climate in which we lived was a planned daily event at the pool. The youth, as usual, did their level best to dunk the counselors. But suddenly I noticed Sharon, standing beside the pool with a couple of other women. Without any forethought, I got out of the pool and walked over to her. 
 
“Aren’t you going to get into the pool?” I said. 
 
“No,” she replied. “I don’t want to get my hair wet.” 
 
I planned to let things lie but then she said, “Well now, are you going to throw me in?” 
 
To this day, I don’t know what kept my hands at my sides. Perhaps it was a miraculous intervention. That would have been a real eye-raising scene. Two middle aged parent counselors playing with each other in the pool, both of them married but not to each other.   
 
On the third evening of the retreat the director announced a unique event. Each boy was to arrange a date with a girl for Friday evening. Trying to be funny, I expressed disappointment that my wife was home and I couldn’t get a date. Immediately, a male youth from the back of the room said, “Well, how about Sharon?” 
 
An embarrassing hush came over the room. Fortunately the youth director brushed it off and went on to something else. I sat motionless, and said nothing. 
 
Throughout the remaining two days of the week, Sharon and I maintained a platonic distance from each other.  
I was able to connect with some youth that appeared to be loners, to which the camp director was pleased. So I did seem to be somewhat of a friend of youth, a ministry that extended beyond the camp experience.
 
While embarrassed by the situation with Sharon I was able to look back on the experience and see the humor in it. Upon arriving home, I shared the events of the week with my wife and we laughed about it. “I better go with you next time you’re a counselor at a youth camp,” she chided.

I sighed with relief that nothing came of my meeting Sharon. But I also learned a valuable lesson that all guys might seriously consider. It is easy, even for Christian men, to fall into acts of indiscretion. We could do well in taking to heart King Solomon's sage advice in Proverbs 2:11
“Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.”  (NLT) 

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