"Can I go out and play?" Every red-blooded kid (pre-1980's)

I'm sometimes amazed at the modern world we live in. There are so many things that are different for kids now, than when I was a child. For example, the National Football League is now running commercials encouraging kids to get out and play for 60 minutes a day. ... You've got to be kidding!

Back in the 1960's (the pre-Jurassic era, for those under the age of 30), being allowed to play only 60 minutes a day would have been considered a prison sentence. In fact, I have two vivid (and horrible) memories from my childhood. One was when I was about five years old and sick in bed - during the daylight hours! I could hear the other neighborhood kids outside playing a game we had invented ourselves, Frisbee volleyball. How this game never made it to Olympic competition is beyond me, but there I was, in bed, sick as a dog, and the only thing I could think about was missing being outside and playing.

The other terrible incident came when I was about 8 or 9. I don't remember the year, but I remember the day - it was June 14th, my birthday! I had strep throat. I was permitted to get up for a few minutes to have a piece of Hershey Bar Cake and to play with my birthday gifts (a rubber band powered airplane and a croquet set, if I recall correctly). It was just long enough to infect everyone who came to my party, but not nearly long enough to enjoy my birthday. So there I was, in bed, while everyone else got to play. Pity me!!!

Now that I am a little older (53 years old - could that be right?) I am much more mature. For example, not too long ago. I was getting over a cold. The other kids in town were going out to play basketball at the High School gym. When I was a kid, it would have been my Mom who had the task of telling me that I could not go out. But, I am not a kid anymore. I no longer require a responsible adult to tell me when it is unwise to go out and play. I am older now (as previously mentioned) and much more mature... so I went out and played basketball  :)

Life is good, is it not? I cannot wait for Heaven! I know that it will not be one giant play day, but I also know this: Jesus has gone to prepare a place for me, so it must be grand. The older I get, the more I long for this place. I long for the new body (sore knees, ankles, feet, shoulders, arms and back) and I long for the presence of God.

I don't deserve it - nobody does, but I long for it. And I know that I will be there, if I will just be faithful, for God has invited me. When I was a kid, I wouldn't have dreamed of missing out on one minute of joy, and I do not intend to miss out on the joy of Heaven. How about you? 

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.

John 14:2-3, NIV

An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity.

Anonymous

One of the aspects that I love the most about the Christian life is the optimism that it produces. Regardless of how gloomy things may seem, there is always hope for those who are in Christ. Now, hope is not some type of wishful thinking reserved for bright-eyed dreamers. In the strictest Scriptural sense, hope is expectation - for God has given His word and we can rightly expect that this promise will be fulfilled. Hope is nothing less than an absolute confidence that God will always do what He has said He will do.

One story of incredible optimism that I will never forget is one told by Frazier Hunt, a neighbor of Helen Keller. Hunt came upon Ms. Keller as he was riding along a path near his ranch in the majestic setting of the Canadian Rockies. A wire had been strung along the path for the purpose of guiding Ms. Keller on her walks. Mr. Hunt watched as a beaming Helen Keller walked along this path. She came to a clump of wolf willows, took a big bunch in her arms and, inhaling deeply, perfectly formed the word "beautiful" with her lips.

Mr. Hunt later said that he had to brush back the tears from his eyes. He had just received a small bit of bad news and was feeling sorry for himself. In his despair, he had failed to even notice the glory of the beauty that surrounded him on his ride. It took a deaf, sightless woman who refused to let hardship mar her joy, to open his senses to our Creator's glorious wonders.

As Christians, we have the promise of Heaven. Further, we have the promise of God's help while we are here on this earth. Can you think of anything that could rightfully cause us to become pessimistic as long as we have the surety of these two promises? May each one of us truly open our eyes to the beauty that God has placed in each one of our lives, regardless of any hardships that we may have to overcome along life's journey.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

Philippians 4:8, NIV

If you play with fire you're going to get burned.

Ancient Proverb

Dad and Uncle Bill were just boys on a boring Sunday afternoon some years ago. They were looking for something to do when they hit upon the idea of teasing one of their Dad's rams. If you have never teased a ram then you will not understand this lesson as readily as one who has, but you can still get the general idea. The boys would aggravate the ram and get him to chase them. Then they would run like mad and hop up on a trailer just before he reached them. The ram would smash his head against the trailer and the boys would die laughing. (This was in the 1930's, prior to the establishment of the SPCA, PETA and neighbors with long noses).

They had nearly tired of their game when their cousin arrived in his Sunday go-to-meeting suit. He saw the boys playing with the ram and, being something of a city boy, misunderstood the game entirely. He cheerfully went up to the ram to pet him, but the enraged animal just lowered his head and backed up. Not being savvy in the way of rams, Cousin said, "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you". A few seconds later Cousin was sore and in need of a new suit but had become wise in the way of the world as it pertained to rams. So far as anyone knows he never again tried to pet another ram. Cousin had become educated. The lesson was a success.

Have you ever noticed how some people approach sin in the same way that city boys treat rams? They see it and are intrigued. They want to get close enough to pet it, thinking that they are in control of the situation, then are surprised to find themselves on their backsides - soiled and bruised. But unlike Cousin they don't always learn their lesson, so they keep coming back for more.

If you have been knocked down by sin and have learned your lesson, then congratulate yourself - you won't have to go back for seconds. But if you have been fooling yourself into thinking that you are special and are equipped with super powers that allow you to play with rams and fire, then get ready: You are about to get soiled, bruised and burned!

Can a man scoop fire into his lap without getting burned?

Proverbs 6:27, NIV

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Galatians 6:7-8, NIV

Without proper perspective, our lives are completely wasted.

Have you ever noticed how many times we get excited about things that are of little or no consequence at all? We get bent out of shape over the person that cuts us off in traffic. We lose our temper when gas goes up another nickel. We go crazy when the umpire misses a call in our kid's little league game. We obsess over things like how much money we have or how new our cars are or how much our kid's braces will cost.

However, when it comes to things of true importance, we dismiss them with little thought, if any at all. We didn't get around to reading our Bible today - Oh well! Our kids (and us) missed worship again this week - It just couldn't be helped. The last time we gave thought to our eternal soul was... well we really couldn't say - but we really like the idea of Heaven.

But... what will we say at the Judgement? How can we explain to our Heavenly Father that we never could make time for Him, but we would really like to join Him in Heaven all the same? How can we explain to Jesus - the one who died on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven - how we just never did get around to getting serious about our service to Him?

The fact is that we must somehow begin to put things in their proper place if we are to avoid the kind of eternity that we would all rather not think about. We are not here for smooth traffic, cheap gas and good officiating, nor are we here to make gobs of money, drive fancy cars and have kids with the straightest teeth in school.

We are here to serve God. We can have a lot of fun doing so, and we can experience a multitude of satisfying experiences along the way, but we are here to serve God! If we miss out on that important bit of perspective, we might find ourselves missing out on eternal life. Do you... have the perspective that you need?

The length of our days is seventy years - or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away... Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalms 90:10 & 12, NIV