As a small child
my mother took me one day shopping with her.
During this outing to our pre-Wal-Mart general store named Howard
Brothers as a 5 year old I decided that I needed a tag for the back of my
bicycle. However, selections that day
were limited and they did not have Rickey or Rick. I was not a patient young man. In other words, I wanted what I wanted when I
wanted! (Ever been there? That you would
admit!) So as a creative genius I determined since my
name is Rickey Edward Camp that I could simply use Edward, which they had. In the most tactful manner I knew as a five
year old I sought to convince my mother that even though I went by Rickey a
bike tag with Edward would suffice.
Unfortunately, I thought at the time, my mom did not understand my
reasoning nor did she succumb to my persuasion. Her answer was a definitive, “NO!” How dare her say no to a “valid” request such
as mine.
Not to be
content with a negative response, I felt if I showed my grave disappointment in
her denial of my request I might be more persuasive so I began to have a rather
dejected and despondent disposition.
(That is a politically correct way of saying I pouted!) However, a rather ornery attitude followed
this period of pouting. It wasn’t until
my mom decided I needed to be taken behind the trash cans on the hardware aisle
for an attitude adjustment that I could understand my mother’s point of
view. While that was not a moment I enjoyed
or even appreciated at the time, I am grateful that mom understood the bigger
picture in order to help prepare me for greater issues in life than not getting
a bicycle tag that particular morning.
I recall a
passage in the book of Judges where Samson as a young man saw something he
wanted desperately. What he desired was
of greater consequence than a bicycle tag with the wrong name on it. He wanted a young girl from a neighboring
country which worshipped another god.
This young lady from the land of Philistia appealed to Samson so he went
back to his mother and dad asking them to obtain her for him as his wife. Samson’s parents knew the commands of God to
not intermarry with foreigners and tried to reason with Samson. However, in Judges 14:3 Samson demanded of
his parents by saying, “Get her for me, because I want her.” Here is a young man, not a five year old boy,
pitching a fit to have his way because it “pleases” him. While that is a sad picture, the more
troubling issue is that his parents succumb to the wishes of a demanding son
rather than teach him the deferral of pleasures, especially those which detracted
him from obedience to God. I wonder what
would have happened to Samson later in life, especially with Delilah, had he learned
to resist the temptations to disobey God.
When I think of
this in relation to where I am today, I am thankful to how my parents taught me
as a young boy the important lessons of life.
As I contemplate though I am fearful that too often I forget that lesson
in Howard Brothers. Are there times as
an adult when I am demanding of my ways when God has something greater in
mind? Are there times when I am
impatient with the directives of God because they do not fit into my schedule of
activities and timeline? Am I intolerable
of things when I do not see the bigger picture?
God has not placed me in here to satisfying my longings. His plan is for me to glorify Him by drawing
unregenerate people to Him. May my ways
and plans never seek to glorify self but rather to honor a deserving and holy
God in all ways.
Pastor Ric
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