Janice had a great idea, “Let’s take the grandchildren bowling. Karen has a coupon that will provide for an hour of bowling for up to five people.”

My first thought was, “I’m not sure about that.” I like to bowl, though I had not bowled in years. I did remember how heavy the bowling balls are and I just didn’t see how my four “Atlanta” grandchildren would be able to pull it off.

Nevertheless, I have learned that it’s best to follow through with these great ideas that the ladies in my life have from time to time, so I said, “Sure, that sounds like fun.”

When we got to the bowling alley, grandchildren in tow, I turned in the coupon at the front desk and gave sizes for the bowling shoes for the grandchildren and for myself. I thought we were well underway, but then the girl behind the counter asked me a question that I was not prepared for. “Would you like to have gutter guards?”

I thought to myself, “Actually, I just had some of those put on my house last year.” I didn’t give it much thought and quickly answered, “No thank you.”

Shortly, we were at lane 24 and ready to go. Our shoes were on and everybody had picked out their bowling ball. I was thinking to myself, “Now, how do I handle this? I don’t want to frustrate the grandchildren by bowling near 300 while they may be able to muster only a few pins in an entire game. Nevertheless, I do need to show them how the game is played.” I decided to demonstrate that granddaddy knows how to bowl and I would give it my best shot.

Ryan was the first up. He slowly walked forward toward the line, dropped the ball from a height of about two feet with a slight forward motion. Slowly, it rolled about five feet and then promptly went into the gutter.

I said, “Don’t worry about it Ryan, you get another try in just a second as soon as your ball gets back up here. I’m sure you’ll knock down some pins here in just a minute.”

He did not respond to my encouragement, but simply said, “Where are the gutter guards? We always have gutter guards.”

The first thing I asked Janice was, “Have these kids been bowling before?” Then I asked, “What are gutter guards?”

All the kids answered at once, “That’s those things that pop up on the side that keep your ball from going in the gutter. We always have gutter guards.”

Within a couple of minutes, the front desk had been notified that we did, in fact, want gutter guards for all four children, but not for granddaddy. The dynamics of the game changed immediately. The balls were still rolling down the alley at an incredibly slow rate of speed, but they would bump up against the “gutter guards” and just keep on rolling. Back and forth they would bounce against the guards and back and forth they would roll until eventually they would reach the pins and with a chain reaction initiated, it was astonishing to see how many pins went down.

This happened in succession with each grandchild, Ryan first, then Meaghan, then Ben and Hannah. Frankly, with the “gutter guards” in place, they did quite well. Actually, it was impossible for them to miss.

Finally, it was my turn. The “gutter guards” dropped automatically. I was on my own. Mind you, it had been since college days, I guess, that I had picked up a bowling ball, but I was confident that it would be like riding a bike.

With the best form I could deliver, I walked forward, arm swinging back, then forward and laid the ball on the lane as smoothly as I could. It looked good for about half the distance then it started for the gutter. Before it reached the first pin, it was in the gutter.

“You got a gutter ball granddaddy,” the children said in unison.

I responded cheerfully, “I sure did, but remember, I’m just warming up.”

To tell you the truth, it went downhill from there. I got beaten by every one of my grandchildren, even by Ben and Hannah, the youngest. I said to Janice, “You don’t think these kids will tell their parents that they beat granddaddy, do you?”

She replied, “Just as soon as they get the chance.”

As a believer in Christ, aren’t you thankful that the Lord in all His wisdom gave us a “Gutter Guard?” The Holy Spirit has been placed by God in the heart of every believer in Christ to keep us out of the gutter. If you will listen to the still, small voice of the Lord within, He will keep you from gutter living and will give you daily all the power and authority