Waiting For G.I. Joe

I found myself reading statistics early this morning after reading a news report on teenage pregnancies. The article also delved into the divorce rate among other things and all-in-all it was pretty gloomy. It always is. Marital relationships do not appear to be what they used to be, but maybe I’m jaded from seeing too much within my own lifetime. If you throw in the recent push for same-sex marriage, the whole house of cards seems to be falling down and not just here in my country, but around the world as a whole.

It wasn’t meant to be that way.

I went to my niece’s birthday party yesterday, and though she turned twenty, the marking of a day as such is always a special event. I’m proud of her – I’ve watched her grow up and it appeared to have happened seemingly overnight. In a few weeks she will leave home for college in another part of the state. No, the marriage bug has not bitten her yet, but it will. I can see it looming over the horizon for her. However, she had nothing to do with where my thoughts are headed; it was the event itself that is directing my manner of thinking this morning.

I remember my eighth birthday, and I know that is hard to believe, but I do. I had asked in the weeks leading up to ‘my day’ for a special GI Joe doll as they were very big at the time and all of my best friends in my second grade class had one. Mom said she would do what she could, but also made a few comments about how times were hard and the toy was expensive, etc., which is what parents do. It increases that sense of anticipation in your children when you do those kinds of things. From my own experience with my children I know that she had planned all along to purchase it for me as a gift.

As a soon to be eight-year-old, though, it was too much stress and the things I am going to confess to here have never been disclosed. A few days before my birthday, I could no longer take the suspense and began a massive search throughout our house for evidence that the gift had been purchased. Sure enough, I found it in a shopping bag in my mother’s closet while she was out in the yard with my grandmother. I opened the box, noting the detailed plastic and camouflaged clothing, as well as the guns and accessories that came with him. Sweat poured from my face, my nerves were standing on edge. It was wrong, but it felt so right! He was going to be mine in a few days, I could hardly wait!

So I didn’t. For the rest of that week, if there was a capricious moment when mom was busy or indisposed in some way, I would be in her closet helping GI Joe take on the commies and fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. I didn’t get caught, because each time I would meticulously return him to his box and made sure that everything was just the way I had found it.

A funny thing happened along the way, however. My birthday finally arrived, and sure enough, we had cake and I received my special present of a GI Joe doll from mom and dad. I feigned excitement to continue the ruse, but in my heart I was already tired of the doll and planning on what toy I would ask of my parents for Christmas. I had ruined my own birthday with my impatience. Something desired and looked forward to had been rendered trivial and pointless by my very own actions.

Many times today I see young people that can’t wait for the things that should always be reserved for marriage. I was a young person once in my life so I am not merely pointing an accusatory finger here. Society as whole bombards us with reasons why we shouldn’t wait, thru videos and movies, music, advertising, while even those of our so-called moral leadership sometimes play along with the charade. Instead of preventing pre-marital sex by teaching abstinence, the world desires only make sure it is ‘safe’ or that an unwanted pregnancy can be avoided.

The writer of Ecclesiastes noted in Chapter 11: “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” The world will say it’s alright to do certain things as long as no one gets hurt. It loves to tell us that it is the enlightened way we should live in the modern world in which we reside. Our heart may tell us that it feels right or feels good and besides, everyone else is doing it. Solomon says to go ahead and do whatever you wish, but he reminds us that there will be a judgment to face afterward.

Some things are better left waiting for due to the costs involved. Even if it's something as simple as a GI Joe doll.

2 comments:

  1. Inclusivism is the order of the day, and everyone is afraid of hurting someone's feelings....except when it comes to those who don't think the same about relativism and seeking after whatever makes you feel good at the moment. And of course homosexuality is glorified as "otherness". There's a group on Facebook called "Christian and Gay." I don't doubt their sincerity, but their thinking is skewed. No one wants to be challenged anymore to make real sacrifice in their lifestyle. It's all about holding on to as much as we can of our old ways, while getting the emotional "high" of Christian or merely spiritual experience. I think a revival is what's called for...

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  2. Good observations, my friend - could not have said it better myself...

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