Rockville, Maryland is a little town just outside Washington, D.C.
I had taken a semester off from school to go to work in an effort to try to determine what I wanted to do with my life. I worked for a small electronics company in Rockville.
On December 9, 1982, around 6:50 in the morning, I had just pulled into the parking lot across the street from where I worked. While driving across the lot, about half way across (the lot was empty that morning), my passenger side window exploded and I found myself slammed hard against the driver’s side door. It took a moment to realize….I’d just been shot. In the face.
I’ll spare you the story as to how I managed to stop the car, get a ride to the hospital, and eventually make it home. It was quite a day for a 20 year old fellow to experience. I often thought that something like this would never happen to someone like me, but it did.
I was soaked to the skin in my own blood and my jaw was broken. The officer interviewing me in the hospital said three other people were shot at around that same time in the same area, I was the only one who got hit. Lucky me.
The doctor wired my jaw shut for two months and put me on, naturally, a liquid diet. Through it all, I never once found myself angry with whoever did this to me. I only wanted them found so I could ask them why they did it. The person(s) responsible were never found. Nevertheless, I forgave them, and tried my best to put that day behind me. I forgave them. I didn’t even know who it was I forgave, but the Bible said to do that, so I did.
Even though I spent the six to eight years in a fog, I never once felt any anger towards whoever did that to me. (I couldn’t think straight, I couldn’t remember things, old friends now seemed like strangers to me. Part of my life was missing).
Fast forward to the year 2003 (21 years later). Fourth of July weekend. Family fun, food and fireworks. My parents lived two hours south of us in the L.A. area (Simi Valley, CA). My sister and her children live there too. Now, my sister was never the type of person you’d want looking after your children. She was somewhat irresponsible and is known to make poor decisions. So when I was asked if my son could go home with them for a few days (summer time, no school), I said no. It has never been a secret how I felt about my sister. I loved her dearly but I did not trust her with the care and well being of my children. My parents offered, since they lived nearby, to allow my son to stay with them and he could then spend time with his cousins at my parent’s house. I agreed.
The next day, we received a phone call from the hospital in Simi Valley. My son had been in an accident. We later found out that he was riding his skateboard, being towed behind his aunt’s car down the street in her neighborhood. His aunt, my sister, (remember the poor decision maker?) turned a corner too fast and launched him towards the edge of the road. He wiped out big time. He had road rash all over one side of his body, and the side of his face. He looked like he had just been though a meat grinder. He was torn up pretty badly. Add a loosened tooth and a concussion, and this 15 year old kid wasn’t feeling very well. His only regret about the entire incident was that no one video taped it. I should have learned from him, but I didn’t.
My sister later called to apologize for what she had done, and I told her not to worry about it, and I hung up. Actually, on the inside, I was steaming. Anger was burning like an inferno inside me. On the outside I acted as though it was no big deal. Stuff happens, right? My son is alive and he’ll heal and he should be just fine. But no, on the inside I was furious. They lied to me. They deceived me, and my son, my one and only son, paid the price and got hurt. How could I forgive that? I didn’t speak to my sister for a long time after that. In my mind I was screaming, “YOU HURT MY SON!” “MY SON SUFFERED BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DID!” YOUR POOR DECISIONS CAUSED MY SON PAIN AND SUFFERING!” “YOU…HURT…MY…SON!!”
I know what you are thinking, and you are right. But we’ll come back to that later.
Several months later, my son Josh was all healed up. His concussion was healed, all the road rash scars had healed and he felt great. He made a full recovery. And he still loves skateboarding.
One Sunday afternoon, after our monthly horse show, Josh and I were driving home from the arena, through a busy area of town. We were in the ¾ ton pick-up truck and hauling both horses in the large three horse gooseneck trailer. It was just about sunset. As we approached that particular intersection, the sun moved just right so we were both blinded by the sun. I couldn’t see that I was about to run a red light. We T-Boned a mini-van in the intersection. Totaled both vehicles. Josh cried out to God. By the grace of God, no one was hurt. I found out that the woman in the mini-van was a Christian, she was on her way to church. Once we knew everyone was okay, we all prayed together on that street corner.
As you may have guessed, it was my fault. I ran the red light and I caused that collision. I hurt someone, destroyed her vehicle and inconvenienced her life. I felt terrible. I couldn’t get over the fact that I was the one responsible for the entire incident. Don’t forget, my son was with me that day. That was important that he be there. I didn’t know that at the time. I found that out later on.
For weeks I anguished over what I had done. I was literally sick to my stomach. I constantly felt nauseous. It took all the strength I had just to get through the day.
One morning, while in the kitchen preparing to go to work, I cried out to God “How long to I have to feel this way?” I heard a voice, very loud, and very clear, in my head. It said, “Until you learn”.
“Until I learn what?”
Just then, it hit me. All the anger and negative feelings I had towards my sister came flooding back to my mind. I had never felt more ashamed of anything in my life before, or since that moment. I immediately fell to my knees, almost smashing my forehead against the kitchen counter, and I begged the Lord to forgive me. But God wasn’t finished with me. The next thing the Holy Spirit prompted was “Call her”. Ouch. I called my sister and confessed everything, and begged her to forgive me. She did. She didn’t know I had felt that way all that time. The burden of that sIn was immediately lifted from me, and I felt much better. I felt like I could fly. I also realized why it was so important that Josh had been with me that day. I couldn’t live with myself at thought of him being hurt or injured because of something I had done.
The Bible tells us to forgive. It doesn’t place any conditions on forgiveness, it just says to do it.
How can we expect God to forgive us, if we don’t forgive each other?
Do you have someone you need to forgive?
Is there someone who you would like to have forgive you?
Don’t forget God’s telephone number…Jer. 33:3, “Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show you great many things that thou knowest not”.
Make the call.
I am so glad that our Heavenly Father doesn’t react to situations the way I did. Can you imagine if He held it against us for what was done to His Son? Can your hear God saying “YOU HURT MY SON! HE DID NOTHING WRONG, AND YOU HURT HIM, AND YOU KILLED HIM!” YOU HURT MY SON!!” Yet instead, Jesus himself beseeched His Father, and asked Him to forgive us, because we didn’t understand what we were doing. How awesome is that!?!
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.
Oh, how thankful I am that we serve a gracious and merciful and forgiving God. His Son was hurt and punished and put to death for your sins and for mine. But He did it because He loves us.
We are human. We sin. That’s life. Every time we sin, we hurt His Son. Call on God. Seek His forgiveness. Everything that could be done to secure for you a place in Heaven, has been done, through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Make the call.
I once heard a fellow say that even if you were the only person on earth, Jesus would have still died for you. Upon hearing this, the man’s wife said, “Yes, but then I would have to have been the one to kill Him”.
Something to think about.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
A Lesson from Jonah.....
I’m Angry
Scott Trammell
September 15, 2005
I’m angry. I am so angry that it burns deep within me, and wells up inside me like an inferno.
The fact that some people can be so dishonest and mean and hateful towards someone else, and then be rewarded for it, just burns me up. This sort of thing had always bothered me, but I hadn’t given it much thought until I found myself on the receiving end of all of that hatred and dishonesty.
Why do some people feel the need to behave this way? I just do not understand it.
I’ve learned recently about something called Borderline Personality Disorder. This is a mental condition, and so far has no known cure and any successful treatment has yet to be discovered. What happens is that this individual will appear normal and nice. This person may be quite pleasant to be around and may develop solid friendships. However, when any one of these relationships turn sour, meaning: if you disagree with this person, or try to correct them in any way, they turn against you. This otherwise nice, sweet person becomes mean, calculating and callous. These people have been known to go out of their way to hurt someone drastically, just because they no longer unconditionally go along with everything the BPD person says or does.
I always thought that true friendships, the ones that last, are filled with give and take, an exchange of ideas and thoughts and beliefs. We don’t always have to agree in order to remain friends. Think about it: if we always agree about everything and never challenge each other, the friendship will not grow. It will remain stagnant and may eventually fade. We need relationships in our lives that encourage us to grow and progress into the people God intends for us to be. This means that change in our lives is good. Of course, this change should translate in to growth.
A wise man once said “If nothing changes, then nothing changes”. Change is good. We need it in order to grow. People with BPD, however, have trouble accepting this.
I have learned a lot about BPD, and I am still learning more as time goes on. People with BPD will not recognize themselves as having this condition. They have also been known to fabricate elaborate stories to make themselves appear the victim while intentionally damaging someone else. The cost in people’s lives in behaving this way can be great, but that thought never enters their mind. They’re only concerned with winning, or “getting even”. Getting even for what? There was no wrong-doing done to the person with BPD, but they stopped getting their way, so they feel the need to “get” that other person. I still don’t understand that. Quite possibly, I never will.
I stated in the beginning that I am angry. Actually, I had been deeply hurt by a person with BPD. So “hurt” is what I am really feeling. But let’s call it what it is. I’m angry, I’m mad, I am bitter and confused. I’ve been hurt and it made me mad, so I’m angry. There it is.
What did this person do to hurt me so badly? Well, I had intended to write quite a dissertation describing the details of a particular BPD person, and how they went out of their way to destroy my life. But then a very good friend sent me the following daily devotional. God used this to change my heart, and to calm my spirit.
I hope this blesses you as much as it did me…..
How do we react when God shows mercy to people we think deserve punishment? If we are resentful, it may indicate that we have forgotten how much the Lord has forgiven us.
After Jonah followed God's second call to preach His coming judgment on Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-4), the people of the city turned from their evil lifestyle, so the Lord did not destroy them (v.10). God's mercy made Jonah angry. He told God he had been afraid this would happen, and that's why he fled to Tarshish in the first place. "I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, . . . One who relents from doing harm" (4:2).
But the Lord said to Jonah, "Should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons?" (4:11).
God's marvelous grace is greater than all our sin. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). Because of His grace to us, we should "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave [us]" (4:32).
Instead of being angry when God is merciful, we should applaud. —David McCasland
What love the Father has bestowed on me!
We can stop showing mercy to others when Christ stops showing mercy to us.
So…..just call me …. Jonah.
Scott Trammell
September 15, 2005
I’m angry. I am so angry that it burns deep within me, and wells up inside me like an inferno.
The fact that some people can be so dishonest and mean and hateful towards someone else, and then be rewarded for it, just burns me up. This sort of thing had always bothered me, but I hadn’t given it much thought until I found myself on the receiving end of all of that hatred and dishonesty.
Why do some people feel the need to behave this way? I just do not understand it.
I’ve learned recently about something called Borderline Personality Disorder. This is a mental condition, and so far has no known cure and any successful treatment has yet to be discovered. What happens is that this individual will appear normal and nice. This person may be quite pleasant to be around and may develop solid friendships. However, when any one of these relationships turn sour, meaning: if you disagree with this person, or try to correct them in any way, they turn against you. This otherwise nice, sweet person becomes mean, calculating and callous. These people have been known to go out of their way to hurt someone drastically, just because they no longer unconditionally go along with everything the BPD person says or does.
I always thought that true friendships, the ones that last, are filled with give and take, an exchange of ideas and thoughts and beliefs. We don’t always have to agree in order to remain friends. Think about it: if we always agree about everything and never challenge each other, the friendship will not grow. It will remain stagnant and may eventually fade. We need relationships in our lives that encourage us to grow and progress into the people God intends for us to be. This means that change in our lives is good. Of course, this change should translate in to growth.
A wise man once said “If nothing changes, then nothing changes”. Change is good. We need it in order to grow. People with BPD, however, have trouble accepting this.
I have learned a lot about BPD, and I am still learning more as time goes on. People with BPD will not recognize themselves as having this condition. They have also been known to fabricate elaborate stories to make themselves appear the victim while intentionally damaging someone else. The cost in people’s lives in behaving this way can be great, but that thought never enters their mind. They’re only concerned with winning, or “getting even”. Getting even for what? There was no wrong-doing done to the person with BPD, but they stopped getting their way, so they feel the need to “get” that other person. I still don’t understand that. Quite possibly, I never will.
I stated in the beginning that I am angry. Actually, I had been deeply hurt by a person with BPD. So “hurt” is what I am really feeling. But let’s call it what it is. I’m angry, I’m mad, I am bitter and confused. I’ve been hurt and it made me mad, so I’m angry. There it is.
What did this person do to hurt me so badly? Well, I had intended to write quite a dissertation describing the details of a particular BPD person, and how they went out of their way to destroy my life. But then a very good friend sent me the following daily devotional. God used this to change my heart, and to calm my spirit.
I hope this blesses you as much as it did me…..
How do we react when God shows mercy to people we think deserve punishment? If we are resentful, it may indicate that we have forgotten how much the Lord has forgiven us.
After Jonah followed God's second call to preach His coming judgment on Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-4), the people of the city turned from their evil lifestyle, so the Lord did not destroy them (v.10). God's mercy made Jonah angry. He told God he had been afraid this would happen, and that's why he fled to Tarshish in the first place. "I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, . . . One who relents from doing harm" (4:2).
But the Lord said to Jonah, "Should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons?" (4:11).
God's marvelous grace is greater than all our sin. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). Because of His grace to us, we should "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave [us]" (4:32).
Instead of being angry when God is merciful, we should applaud. —David McCasland
What love the Father has bestowed on me!
For this I cannot help but thankful be;
I read His Word, His promises embrace,
And daily praise Him for His matchless grace. —Hess
We can stop showing mercy to others when Christ stops showing mercy to us.
So…..just call me …. Jonah.
Friday, February 09, 2007
What a Day!
What a Day!
Scott Trammell
March 29, 2006
This happened to me on Monday, March 26, 2006, in a little dusty town in California.
The story is true and people’s names have been left out because I think it’s the right thing to do.
I had spent considerable time preparing for a court case where false accusations were presented against me. I had proof that each claim was/is false. I sat in that court-room and watched the judge rule in favor of the opposition and would not even allow me the opportunity to defend myself. The judge wouldn't even look at my documentation. I left that courtroom a very angry man. Angry at the judge, my ex, and angry at God. Suffice it to say - I was fuming. We had waited all day to be called. No food or water - all day. I was physically, mentally and spiritually exhausted!
King Solomon really knew what he was talking about -
14And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!15So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people to do in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them. (Ecclesiastes 8:14-15)
I had other related matters to attend to before the end of the day so I hurried off to the building a few blocks away. When finished, I asked them where the next office was located I need to go to and it was in the court building I had just spent the entire day! Great.
I had spent that entire day waiting for our case to be called. During the day, I got to know some people a little bit, another “ex” couple, who were going through similar issues.
As I got back to the courthouse (where I had started from), I was heading across the parking lot towards the building, still angry and asking God why He had abandoned me today. At just that moment - God showed up.
The fellow I had met during the day was storming out of the courthouse. Apparently, things hadn't gone well for him either. I heard him as he passed by me as he raved at how the judge had gone against him, and I sympathized with him, as I could surely relate to his circumstances. The same thing had happened to me just a short time earlier.
Then, shaking his head and with tears in his eyes he angrily mumbled that he just couldn’t handle it anymore and was going to kill himself. I recalled what his ex-wife had mentioned earlier in that he keeps a handgun in his truck.
I felt the Holy Spirit tugging at me. I looked up at God and thought "Oh great! You mean now? They're about to close the office inside!" The Spirit said "GO!" - So I went. I turned around and hurried after him.
Long story short - I walked with him back to his truck, was able to talk him down, prayed with him and he didn't kill himself. I don't remember all that was said since the Holy Spirit was using me at the time and the words that came out of me didn't belong to me. I guess I should have been paying attention. We exchanged contact information and he got in his truck and drove away.
Afterwards, I went inside and had plenty of time left to take care of business - only this time, with a clean heart and calmness and peace. No anger. God blessed that too, and the staff was very helpful.
As I came back out of the building, I met the man’s ex-wife. She was waiting for me in order to tell me thank you for talking to her ex and for praying with him. She said I saved his life. I told her that no, God saved him, He just let me help. A few weeks later the man called me to thank me for taking the time to pray with him that day and what a difference that had made in his life. He said things had gotten better for him and he is now getting back to church and praising God.
God is good. And He is always there - even if we can't feel Him or see Him. He hadn’t abandoned me that day, I had just taken my eyes off of Him. God's blessings keep pouring in amidst the trials and tribulations.
Blessings to you.
“And we know that all things work together for the good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose”. (Romans 8:28)
Scott Trammell
March 29, 2006
This happened to me on Monday, March 26, 2006, in a little dusty town in California.
The story is true and people’s names have been left out because I think it’s the right thing to do.
I had spent considerable time preparing for a court case where false accusations were presented against me. I had proof that each claim was/is false. I sat in that court-room and watched the judge rule in favor of the opposition and would not even allow me the opportunity to defend myself. The judge wouldn't even look at my documentation. I left that courtroom a very angry man. Angry at the judge, my ex, and angry at God. Suffice it to say - I was fuming. We had waited all day to be called. No food or water - all day. I was physically, mentally and spiritually exhausted!
King Solomon really knew what he was talking about -
14And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!15So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people to do in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them. (Ecclesiastes 8:14-15)
I had other related matters to attend to before the end of the day so I hurried off to the building a few blocks away. When finished, I asked them where the next office was located I need to go to and it was in the court building I had just spent the entire day! Great.
I had spent that entire day waiting for our case to be called. During the day, I got to know some people a little bit, another “ex” couple, who were going through similar issues.
As I got back to the courthouse (where I had started from), I was heading across the parking lot towards the building, still angry and asking God why He had abandoned me today. At just that moment - God showed up.
The fellow I had met during the day was storming out of the courthouse. Apparently, things hadn't gone well for him either. I heard him as he passed by me as he raved at how the judge had gone against him, and I sympathized with him, as I could surely relate to his circumstances. The same thing had happened to me just a short time earlier.
Then, shaking his head and with tears in his eyes he angrily mumbled that he just couldn’t handle it anymore and was going to kill himself. I recalled what his ex-wife had mentioned earlier in that he keeps a handgun in his truck.
I felt the Holy Spirit tugging at me. I looked up at God and thought "Oh great! You mean now? They're about to close the office inside!" The Spirit said "GO!" - So I went. I turned around and hurried after him.
Long story short - I walked with him back to his truck, was able to talk him down, prayed with him and he didn't kill himself. I don't remember all that was said since the Holy Spirit was using me at the time and the words that came out of me didn't belong to me. I guess I should have been paying attention. We exchanged contact information and he got in his truck and drove away.
Afterwards, I went inside and had plenty of time left to take care of business - only this time, with a clean heart and calmness and peace. No anger. God blessed that too, and the staff was very helpful.
As I came back out of the building, I met the man’s ex-wife. She was waiting for me in order to tell me thank you for talking to her ex and for praying with him. She said I saved his life. I told her that no, God saved him, He just let me help. A few weeks later the man called me to thank me for taking the time to pray with him that day and what a difference that had made in his life. He said things had gotten better for him and he is now getting back to church and praising God.
God is good. And He is always there - even if we can't feel Him or see Him. He hadn’t abandoned me that day, I had just taken my eyes off of Him. God's blessings keep pouring in amidst the trials and tribulations.
Blessings to you.
“And we know that all things work together for the good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose”. (Romans 8:28)
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Listen to Me.....
When I ask you to listen to me, and you start to give advice, you have not done what I asked.
When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as that may seem.
Listen. All I ask is that you listen, not talk or do – just hear me. Advice is cheap; 50 cents will get you both Dear Abby and Billy Graham in the same newspaper. I can do for myself; I’m not helpless.
When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and weakness. But when you accept as a simple fact that I do feel what I feel, no matter how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you and get about the business of understanding what’s behind this irrational feeling.
And when that’s clear, the answers are obvious and I don’t need advice.
Irrational feelings make sense when we understand what’s behind them. Perhaps that’s why prayer works for some people because God is mute and He doesn’t give advice or try to fix things. God just listens and lets you work it out for yourself.
So, please – Listen and just hear me. And if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn; and I will listen to you.
Anonymous
“A naturally therapeutic person is one who, by a natural response to those in pain, empowers them to realize that their own healing potential lies within them, and never in the one who is helping or giving advice.”
Jaquelyn Small, 1993
When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as that may seem.
Listen. All I ask is that you listen, not talk or do – just hear me. Advice is cheap; 50 cents will get you both Dear Abby and Billy Graham in the same newspaper. I can do for myself; I’m not helpless.
When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and weakness. But when you accept as a simple fact that I do feel what I feel, no matter how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you and get about the business of understanding what’s behind this irrational feeling.
And when that’s clear, the answers are obvious and I don’t need advice.
Irrational feelings make sense when we understand what’s behind them. Perhaps that’s why prayer works for some people because God is mute and He doesn’t give advice or try to fix things. God just listens and lets you work it out for yourself.
So, please – Listen and just hear me. And if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn; and I will listen to you.
Anonymous
“A naturally therapeutic person is one who, by a natural response to those in pain, empowers them to realize that their own healing potential lies within them, and never in the one who is helping or giving advice.”
Jaquelyn Small, 1993
Sunday, January 21, 2007
It's Just about Finished !!!
I have been working on restoring an old piano for the past couple of months.
Since I like to make sure things are done correctly, it took me a little longer than I had expected.
(I wanted to have it completed before Christmas).
Anyway, it is a 1964 Steinway upright piano.
It had been somewhat neglected and abused.
It was stored in an old house's sunroom with no heat or air-conditioning, so the finish was exposed to direct sunlight for the last 14 years.
The piano used to be a dark walnut brown color.
The finish had yellowed and was cracked and peeling.
Here's what it looked like when we brought it home.
Before (October 3, 2006)
This is what it looked like with the laquer stripper on it, before I scraped it off. What a mess!
It took quite some time and a great deal of effort (and patience), but I stripped off all the old finish, sanded it down to the bare wood, patched all the dings and gouges with wood filler (walnut), repaired the broken leg, stained it with an Antique Walnut Gel Stain, and sprayed on about 10 coats of laquer.
And now......
After (January 20, 2007)
All that's left to do is finish polishing up all the brass, and buff on the rubbing compound.
Then we can finally move it into the house.
Now if only one of us knew how to play it..........
Since I like to make sure things are done correctly, it took me a little longer than I had expected.
(I wanted to have it completed before Christmas).
Anyway, it is a 1964 Steinway upright piano.
It had been somewhat neglected and abused.
It was stored in an old house's sunroom with no heat or air-conditioning, so the finish was exposed to direct sunlight for the last 14 years.
The piano used to be a dark walnut brown color.
The finish had yellowed and was cracked and peeling.
Here's what it looked like when we brought it home.
Before (October 3, 2006)
This is what it looked like with the laquer stripper on it, before I scraped it off. What a mess!
It took quite some time and a great deal of effort (and patience), but I stripped off all the old finish, sanded it down to the bare wood, patched all the dings and gouges with wood filler (walnut), repaired the broken leg, stained it with an Antique Walnut Gel Stain, and sprayed on about 10 coats of laquer.
And now......
After (January 20, 2007)
All that's left to do is finish polishing up all the brass, and buff on the rubbing compound.
Then we can finally move it into the house.
Now if only one of us knew how to play it..........
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Somebody's Watching....
Somebody’s Watching
Scott Trammell
January 10, 2007
There’s a new song by Rodney Atkins called “Watching You” about how a father realizes that his four year old son is learning how to do things by watching his dad. That song struck a chord with me and reminded me of something that happened a long time ago when my son was only 5 years old.
One Sunday morning, as we were driving to church, I heard my 5 year old son’s cheerful little voice calling from the back seat.
“Hey Dad!”
“Yes, son?”
“Hey, Dad. Guess what?”
(This is how conversations go with young children. A real lesson in patience if you really want to know what’s on their minds.)
“What, son?”
“Hey Dad, know what I’m gonna be when I grow up?”
“I don’t know son. What are you going to be when you grow up?”
“I’m gonna be a Daddy!”
“Well son, there’s sure a good chance for that”
“Yeah Dad, but I’m gonna be a Daddy just like you!”
“Really? Wow. Thank you son!” (feeling a little puffed up and proud by this time)
“Yeah Dad. I’m gonna be just like you! When I drive my car, and somebody gets in my way, I’m gonna honk my car at ‘em and yell ‘Get outta my way you dummy!’ – Yeah, Dad…….I’m gonna be ….. just ……….like………….you.”
Ouch. You could just about hear the whistling of the air escaping as my pride bubble was slowly bursting. His mother was laughing so hard she nearly fell out of the car.
All I could think of to say was “Well, son, let’s hope you do a lot better job at being a Daddy than I’ve been doing so far.” And just like the father in that song, I prayed, “Lord, please help me…”
That day, my life changed forever. I realized I wasn’t being a good father to my son. Oh, I worked hard and provided a good home for him, took him to church and tried my best to teach him all those things a good father tries to teach his son. But it wasn’t until that day when I learned that what I showed him was more important than what I told him. Hadn’t someone told me about that before? Maybe, I really don’t remember. Perhaps just like with my son, I needed to be shown, not just told, what to do. I needed an attitude adjustment in how I reacted to other people, and the Lord used my own son to give it to me.
Ephesians 6:1 tells us “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Do you really think children will obey their parents just because somebody says so? Some will and some won’t. I think it would be much easier if we gave them a good example to follow, rather than by just telling them.
The Bible also says to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not part from it.” Did you notice it says to “train”, not just “tell”? To properly train someone to do something, you need to show them how to do it. Leading by example. “….As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
Serve, train, teach – these are all things that you do, not just talk about.
My son, who is 18 now, called me the other day. He asked if I remembered how I’d always tried to teach him to be polite, treat people with respect, put others first and to do the right thing. He said it used to annoy him, but lately he’s finding himself actually doing those things, even when he doesn’t really want to. He called me just to say thanks. To steal a line from another song, “In all that I’ve done wrong, I must have done something right….”. He doesn’t even remember that day in the car when he was 5.
I, however, will never forget.
Remember, somebody’s watching you.
Scott Trammell
January 10, 2007
There’s a new song by Rodney Atkins called “Watching You” about how a father realizes that his four year old son is learning how to do things by watching his dad. That song struck a chord with me and reminded me of something that happened a long time ago when my son was only 5 years old.
One Sunday morning, as we were driving to church, I heard my 5 year old son’s cheerful little voice calling from the back seat.
“Hey Dad!”
“Yes, son?”
“Hey, Dad. Guess what?”
(This is how conversations go with young children. A real lesson in patience if you really want to know what’s on their minds.)
“What, son?”
“Hey Dad, know what I’m gonna be when I grow up?”
“I don’t know son. What are you going to be when you grow up?”
“I’m gonna be a Daddy!”
“Well son, there’s sure a good chance for that”
“Yeah Dad, but I’m gonna be a Daddy just like you!”
“Really? Wow. Thank you son!” (feeling a little puffed up and proud by this time)
“Yeah Dad. I’m gonna be just like you! When I drive my car, and somebody gets in my way, I’m gonna honk my car at ‘em and yell ‘Get outta my way you dummy!’ – Yeah, Dad…….I’m gonna be ….. just ……….like………….you.”
Ouch. You could just about hear the whistling of the air escaping as my pride bubble was slowly bursting. His mother was laughing so hard she nearly fell out of the car.
All I could think of to say was “Well, son, let’s hope you do a lot better job at being a Daddy than I’ve been doing so far.” And just like the father in that song, I prayed, “Lord, please help me…”
That day, my life changed forever. I realized I wasn’t being a good father to my son. Oh, I worked hard and provided a good home for him, took him to church and tried my best to teach him all those things a good father tries to teach his son. But it wasn’t until that day when I learned that what I showed him was more important than what I told him. Hadn’t someone told me about that before? Maybe, I really don’t remember. Perhaps just like with my son, I needed to be shown, not just told, what to do. I needed an attitude adjustment in how I reacted to other people, and the Lord used my own son to give it to me.
Ephesians 6:1 tells us “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Do you really think children will obey their parents just because somebody says so? Some will and some won’t. I think it would be much easier if we gave them a good example to follow, rather than by just telling them.
The Bible also says to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not part from it.” Did you notice it says to “train”, not just “tell”? To properly train someone to do something, you need to show them how to do it. Leading by example. “….As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
Serve, train, teach – these are all things that you do, not just talk about.
My son, who is 18 now, called me the other day. He asked if I remembered how I’d always tried to teach him to be polite, treat people with respect, put others first and to do the right thing. He said it used to annoy him, but lately he’s finding himself actually doing those things, even when he doesn’t really want to. He called me just to say thanks. To steal a line from another song, “In all that I’ve done wrong, I must have done something right….”. He doesn’t even remember that day in the car when he was 5.
I, however, will never forget.
Remember, somebody’s watching you.
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