Obey His Commandments
27 August, 2014
Turning left on 8th and Ocean, the taxi came to a sudden halt. “$15.50,” the taxi man grumbled. Looking to my brother, he reached into his pocket, grabbed a wrinkled twenty, and told the man to keep the change. Hopping out of the smelly cab, we were instantly relieved to see the towering palm trees, powder white sand, and massive sun beating down on the vast, crystal clear ocean. “Miami Beach,” my brother sighed, shaking his head side to side. Dodging an all-white Maserati, we skipped across the street to the water, feeling the warm sand between our toes as we stepped closer and closer to the blue ocean. Dropping my flappy hat and loose sundress, I ran full-speed into the Atlantic, splashing water on James with every step I took. Soon, both of us were fully submerged, treading water and kicking slowly on our backs. I had never seen water so clear, never felt water so warm... this was paradise.
Minutes later, paddling back to shore, we grabbed our towels and lazily collapsed in the sand. Sipping a coconut water, I asked James what he wanted to do that night. Our parents had graciously booked a three-day stay for us two, buying us tickets to see the Miami Heat play the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals while we were there. I had plans to leave on my year-long mission trip the following month, so they surprised us with a trip of sibling bonding time.
James popped a french fry into his mouth, shrugged his shoulders and nestled his head into the sand. “Up to you, I’m flexible.” I changed the song on my iPod and laid back without worrying. “We’ll figure it out.”
The sun was beating hard, and I could feel my legs starting to burn. Grabbing SPF 15, a man in a Heat jersey knelt next to my brother and me. “Can I help you?” I asked. “Sorry to bother you, but I’d love to invite you to the Mansion nightclub tonight. Here’s two free VIP tickets, and we’d even pick you up at your hotel. Mansion is the hottest nightclub in town; you’d have a blast.”
As the man walked away, James and I exchanged glances and laughed. We both lived as Christians and weren’t fans of the party scene. We knew we wouldn’t go to a nightclub, so we shrugged it off and laid our heads back in the sand for another hour of R&R.
As the sun began to set, we crossed back over Ocean and took a seat at a beautiful Greek restaurant overlooking the water. Deciding to splurge, we placed an order for cocktail shrimp and seasoned mussels, both ordering salmon, brown rice, and greens beans for the entree. Ripping a slice of the complimentary pita bread, I asked my brother if he wanted to hit a movie afterwards. “Pass the olive oil,” he replied. Shrugging his shoulders, he joked we could pass by the Mansion. “It’d definitely be funny,” I chuckled back.
Dipping my shrimp in the tarter sauce, I asked if he really wanted to go. “Well, it’s an option. We obviously wouldn’t drink, but it’d be cool to go out on the town. We can pray about it later and decide.” James left a generous tip as we sat up and hailed a cab back to the Downtown Hilton. Once we got to our room, we ordered dark chocolate dessert from room service and found a movie on HBO.
After an hour of relaxing, we looked to the clock, looked to each other, and shook our heads without a word. We knew we didn’t have to pray about whether or not to go, the answer was obvious. We’d both given our lives to Christ the year prior, knowing a nightclub would do nothing but backtrack our newfound relationship with Jesus. We knew we didn’t need to party to find acceptance or joy. I grabbed my Bible, cleared my throat, and read a Psalm. “I’m so glad,” James said. “My thoughts exactly,” I said softly. Finishing off the chocolate, we turned off the lights, said our goodnights, and fell asleep, knowing we’d made the right choice.
As the sun peered through the curtains, James and I popped up, headed down the elevator, and began enjoying the lobby’s massive breakfast buffet. Sitting at a corner booth enjoying our omelets and toast, James and I sat quietly and watched CNN’s morning news on the flatscreen. “Following this commercial break, we’ll share breaking news about the riot and shootings at the Mansion nightclub last night at 1:00 AM.” Mortified, James and I stared at each other in disbelief. What did they just say? The Mansion... last night... a shooting?! Shocked, we listened to the facts. A celebrity chef had been killed at the very club James and I had considered going to. Losing our appetites, we left the buffet, somberly went up the elevator, and laid on our queen beds. We couldn’t believe it. Before accepting Christ, we absolutely would have attended the club.
Grabbing his Bible, James opened to John 14:15; “If you love me, obey my commandments.” Looking to me, James shook his head in disbelief, “good thing we obeyed.” Nodding slowly, I stood up, walked onto the balcony, got on my knees, and prayed a long prayer of thankfulness. We had our Bible’s in our pockets for the remainder of the trip, asking for His guidance with our every move.
