Taekwondo Kid’s Corner
By Mrs. Barbara McCain

LINE UP!

“Line up” is one of the first commands you hear at the beginning of your Taekwondo class. After your first week, you know what to do! After that you will always find your place in order of rank, from the top ranking student to the newest white belt in the back row. Place yourself just a reasonable distance from the students on each side and in front you.

Once everyone is lined up, the class can begin. A safe distance from other students makes it possible for each student to participate safely in the warm up exercises. You are placed near to other students that are at your rank and are not expected to be in competition with those of higher ranks. Everyone is happy and is safe, and everyone can work on their own techniques. Lining up is an important thing to do.

What if no one obeyed when the instructor gave the order to line up! You can imagine half the students running around the room wildly, rather than being ready when the instructor wants to begin the class time. There could be no learning, no instruction and certainly no profitable class time.

We never push or shove to be in the front line, or ahead of someone else. Pushing someone is not courteous and could cause injury. The lineup must be correct so that the class can be orderly and begin on time.

Sometimes in life, God asks us to “Line up.” He often wants us to take our place in the class room of life, in just the correct order, in just the right place. In our families, God asks us to “Line up.” He wants us to recognize that He is the Master Instructor and that He has placed our parents at the head of the classroom of our home life. Each of the children has his place, in the right order. Once any of the children try to disobey and get “out of line” with the rules of the home, there is disorder and no one is happy. If the older ones push and shove the younger ones around, some one is likely to get hurt and there is no order or peace. But when each one in the family knows just the right place to be and is ready to receive instruction, they can be of help one to another. The parents can see who needs assistance, the older ones can teach their lessons to those that are younger. Each one can walk happily with the other and there is a happy home.

In our school rooms, God often uses our teachers to tell us to “Line up.” It is an important rule to obey. Many times lining up happens during a fire drill. It is just for practice. But what if it were the REAL THING? If the students did not line up immediately at the teacher’s direction, they could even be caught in the burning building and risk their lives. When it is time to walk down the hall ways to lunch or the library or recess, classes that do not line up correctly soon get a reputation for being trouble makers! Did you ever have anyone push the person ahead of them in a line when you were getting a drink at the drinking fountain? You may have been obeying, but you were likely to be the one who bumped his tooth on the fountain and ended up with a bloody lip. Disobeying the orderly line up procedure is a dangerous thing to do. It does not make for a happy teacher and it does not make for a happy student. You might even lose recess the next time out!

What about our Christian life? Does God ever ask us to “Line up” there? He knows that when we follow His direction, we will find joy and blessing, instead of unhappiness and defeat. Joshua, the Captain of the armies of Israel and their great leader, once drew a line in the sand. He asked all those that would stand for the Lord and His righteousness to “Line up” on the other side if they meant to obey God. He said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). He knew that was the way of blessing and honor and wanted others to join him in that stand for God. God may be calling to you today, asking you to “Line up” in your stand for the Lord. He wants you to cross the line of faith and take a stand for Him. He doesn’t want you to stay in a life of confusion or disobedience, He wants you to Line Up for the Lord! Let’s all be good Christian Soldiers, and get in line to serve our Head Instructor, the Lord Jesus Christ! Line Up!