The One That Got Away!

There is the old adage known far and wide by fishermen about “the one that got away.” As the saying goes the one that got away is always the biggest and the best, because all the other fishermen have is the lone fisherman’s word; and it is well known that all fishermen are liars. Well, at least most fishermen are liars, but then there is Michael and I, and of course we would always be painfully truthful, well most of the time anyway!!

I experienced a rather significant event yesterday that started me pondering on the things that get away from us in life, and why that happens:

As I left my office one of our counselors that I had hired several months back was walking my way. I stopped, gave her a big smile, friendly greeting, and a simple word of appreciation. By that time she had reached my door and we walked down the hallway together toward the exit. She paused and then reflected, “You know Mr. Ward that is what I like about you. You are always friendly, up, and have an encouraging word. You even find time to go from office to office and cubicle to cubicle to greet us and encourage us with appreciation.”

Quietly my mind quickly drifted back to a moment years before when a personal little revelation had come to me from an Old Testament story. It seems in I Kings 20 that King Ahab had been disobedient and the prophet, waiting for him alongside the path, chose a rather unique analogy or personally illustrated parable to show the king his guilt. He asked a friend nearby to hit him, give him a good old, as we say, “jack slap!” The friend refused so he enlisted another who was more willing. Perhaps he gave him a good haymaker and landed the prophet in the dust of the road rather mussing him up. The prophet then pulling his headband over his eyes was spied by the king as he came by. When asked what had happened the prophet explained he was in charge of a prisoner but that, “as thy servant was busy here and there he was gone.” (Verse 40) One translation simply says, “…He got away.” I explained to my counselor how that through this I was shown that we often in being “busy” allow the important things to get away! I just do not want to ever be so “busy” that I allow my staff to go unnoticed, unappreciated and “get away.”

Now if the prophet’s analogy had been true, he had allowed his busyness to interfere with his responsibility of the safe keeping of his prisoner. I personalized this to many things we allow to get away due to our being busy.
Have you ever had your child, or your spouse to ask something of you and you replied thoughtlessly, “I can’t, I’m too busy now.” Oops, say that often enough and at some point they will be gone emotionally, if not physically.

I remember many years ago hearing the great pulpiteer and missionary Harold Davis, tell of a pastor who had gone to his office on Saturday evening to finalize his message for the next day…he needed to cross the “T’s” and dot the “I’s” making sure all was in place. There came a frantic knock on the door, and a hysterical voice called for his help. A lad had fallen in the park pond just down the way and couldn’t get out. The pastor, so intent on his “busyness,” told them to get someone else. The next knock on his door was a policeman telling him his own son had just drowned in the pond. You see, in his zeal for his “busyness” he had lost his own son! He could say with the prophet, “As I was busy here and there, my son got away.”

May we never equate busyness with the real productivity of life! I’ve never been regretful for the times I spent with my children growing up! Memories of fishing, hunting, camping, ball games, band concerts, vacations, or just sitting around playing a game or munching popcorn with my kids still bring a warmly nostalgic smile to my face! I never regret now the times I say “no” to others and other “busy” issues of life to spend simple but hugely gratifying time with my sweet wife Nora!

I never regret the quiet times I spend in communing with my Creator and enjoying His presence in the “cool of the day.” I never regret just relaxing on the back patio and being enthralled by the frisky squirrels, birds, occasional deer, and even the old cows that sometimes graze along the fence line. Those times refresh my spirit and soul, and revitalize my mind!
John Bradshaw reminds us that we are created “Human Beings,” not “Human Doings.” May we all be reminded of that again today and just take time to “Be,” for our family, for our God, for ourselves!! Life will be richer, and oh yeah, there’ll be no regrets!!!