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!