Lay Lake Church of Christ Bulletin
Volume 5, Number 34
Ronnie Scherrfius
I remember it like it was yesterday! Growing up, my dad was an avid hunter; he especially enjoyed deer hunting! And he was good at it; REALLY REALLY good! We have pictures of one hunting trip he made where he brought back three nice bucks – all in one day of hunting! Some men won’t kill three bucks in one season much less one day!
Dad did not kill deer because he was lucky BUT because he worked it! During the offseason he would practice shooting his bow, keeping his sites adjusted and his aim true. We had a large piece of ‘foam rubber’ he would use for target practice. After a few rounds of arrows into the foam, pieces would begin to fall out so we would have to keep it picked up. I remember one day Daddy telling me, “Now, when I get home tomorrow I am going to mow the yard so you get out and pick up all the foam rubber off the yard.”
“Yes sir,” was my reply AND I had every intentions of doing so, but as it is with every 10 year old boy there are so many important things that come up during the day that I lost track of time. Well, 3:30pm rolled around and I heard the truck pull up and I thought, “Man, I forgot to pick up that foam rubber!” Like an idiot I just sat there, watching ‘Gilligan’s Island’.
About 15-20 minutes later I heard the lawn mower crank up and knew that once again Dad had done for me what I had put off doing myself. Another 30 minutes or so passed and Dad opened the door and came into the living room (I was still watching television!). He said, “Come here Ronnie. Well, I knew what was coming! A good talking to and probably a week or two of being grounded – oh how I wish it would only have been a grounding!!! As we walked across the yard I saw that, sure enough, Daddy had picked up the foam, OR so I thought. The closer we got to where the foam had been I began to notice very small pieces of foam all over the yard! He had mowed over the foam SEVERAL TIMES!!! What had been only a few large pieces was now dozens of small pieces! Now,” Daddy said, “Tomorrow you get out here and pick up this foam rubber. And if I find even one piece on the ground I’m gonna wear you out!”
What a tremendous lesson in life!!! Much more important than learning to ‘pick up trash from the yard when my daddy told me to’ I learned that consequences surely follow when we put off what is expected of us! Spiritually this has tremendous implications. How sad and tragic it will be for those on the Day of Judgment who knew what to do, had opportunity to do it but simply put it off because they were ‘too busy’ or because ‘matters of great importance’ hindered them. My dad gave me a second chance; another day – have you put off obeying your heavenly Father? Today is your second chance! PLEASE don’t put off becoming a Christian before it is too late!
“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).