September 25, 2003

Sunday morning grandson woke up early and was playing around the living room as I watched television and sipped coffee. His grandfather didn't know until recently that his Beanie Babies, including the turtle were now items in Kaleb's toybox. Kaleb found the turtle which still had a small piece of thread attached where the official Beanie Baby information had been attached. He handed me the turtle showing me the thread and asked me to get it out, turning to his play. I tried but couldn't, figuring I needed to get the scissors and cut it so I could pull it out. With a voice full of authority and little doubt he immediately handed the turtle back to me and said, "Try it again!" I tried, but with no better results, thinking I was only making the thread tighter. I handed the turtle to him again saying "I can't do it." I figured I would get the scissors when I refilled my coffee. Again with even more authority and refusal to accept defeat, he handed it back to me, said, "Try it again!" and went on back to his playing. It was clear this was my assignment and Kaleb expected me to accomplish it. I looked over my bifocals positioning the turtle for the best view of the thread and redoubled my efforts to accomplish the task. At last the thread was unknotted and removed. I received an enthusiastic, "Yaaay, you did it!" from Kaleb. I was reminded of the need for perseverance in many situations and surprised at a two year old's understanding of trying again. I was reminded of many times I failed to "try it again."

Moses went to Pharoah eight times, Naaman had to dip 7 times to rid himself of leprosy, Joshua had to march seven times around the walls of Jericho. Jesus prayed three times before his arrest, as well as other times when perserverance was required are detailed in the Bible. Faced with a disappointment, a task, an unresolved situation, perhaps the assignment is, "Try it again!" I imagine when God sees our efforts and eventually our victory He also roots for his children and says, "Yaay, you did it!"

 

 

Matthew 26:36-46

36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

 

2 Kings 5:9-14

9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, ^F21 He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not Abana ^F22 and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.