The annual N.C. State Fair has come and gone. But it left me with a lesson I hope will last a lifetime.

I left the fair knowing how quickly I can be tempted to do “what I can get away with” rather than what I know is right but inconvenient. After decades of walking with God it’s sobering to realize how easy it is to dishonor that relationship for a night of frivolous amusements, indulgent food and overpriced games offering dime-store prizes.

It all began with the parking ritual. Fair parking is an entrepreneurial sport for locals. For a fee, people will let you park on their front lawns, in a business parking lot, anywhere the car will fit. The closer to the entrance, the higher the price.

The first parking opportunity we were offered was priced at $20. Too much. We almost parked street side near a roped off lot before two policemen in a golf cart warned us off. “You’ll get a ticket if you park there,” they said. We moved on. Then we saw a movie theater parking lot. The sign read: “Fair Parking $10 Bottom Parking Lot Only Towing Enforced”

We chose to park in a space in front of the theater, end of a row behind a very large SUV. No parking attendant. We walked away. Free parking! You’d think we had lived long enough to know that nothing in life is free.

Had a great time at the fair, returned to the parking lot 4 hours later to find our car … gone! The parking spot was empty. No mystery. Clearly, we’d been towed!

A visit to the popcorn counter and we learned the name of the towing company. After paying $16 for a one-way Uber ride and another $250 to settle the towing bill, we headed home in silence.

Not much to say. No reason to be angry. We knew the price of parking and the unspoken consequence of failing to pay. We were not ignorant. We were disobedient. We figured we could get away with it. We did not. We paid the penalty.

Sometimes that sowing and reaping thing has a quick turnaround.

Driving home, sobered by the turn of events, my mind turned to this verse, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) After the most expensive one-day fair visit in my lifetime, I could think of only three things to be thankful for:

1. We were able to pay the tow charge
2. The car had no new, post-tow dents
3. The tow lot was on our side of town and still open when we arrived.

Lest my readers dismiss our little parking drama as the sad tale of two miserable sinners and/or complete idiots, I should tell you that this is the story of life.

Seemingly innocuous choices can have far-reaching consequences. Not everything in life “just happens.” Sometimes we create our own reality.

More often than I’d like to admit, God’s will is neither hidden or ambiguous. It is as clear as the movie theater parking sign. God’s sheep know His voice. (John 10:27) We don’t always listen.

Instead, we sometimes deliberately choose to do our own thing, following our natural inclinations instead of allowing ourselves to be guided by the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23:3)

“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” (James 4:17)

Apart from Christ, each of us is just a sinner who will one day be judged and receive our just and eternal penalty. Sin has built-in judgment. It’s like mac and cheese. Package deal.

While waiting for Uber, my husband and I told God we were sorry for having willfully sinned when we knew better. We were still out nearly $300, the price of doing it our way, but our fellowship with God was restored.

Next time we’re tempted, I want to remember the lesson: Sin is never a shortcut. It’s a complicated detour that always costs more than expected. Knowing the price Christ paid for me to be forgiven and called a child of God, honoring Him with my choices seems like a small way to show my gratitude.