MISSING THE BOAT

In Black Boy by Richard Wright, the author quotes a street-wise older Negro that recites,  “All these White folks dress so fine, their _ _ _ holes smell just like mine.”  Translation:  We’re all in the same boat, no matter what our station in life, needing to listen to the Captain’s instructions.

      Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “I never saw a hearse pulling a U-haul.” Save for rapture, there is a 100% chance of death for everybody.  Until that time comes (“…it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment—Heb. 9:27—KJV).

The have-nots may periodically find themselves grumbling to one degree or another about how the “other half” is living.  The truth is that neither half is living until they leave earth!  Remember how in Matthew 18 (and Mark 9), Jesus told us this: 

Matt. 18: [8] Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
[9] And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”—KJV.

If you are already conscious enough to know that you have a hand or foot or eye, much less how to use any necessary implement  to do the deed, then you are already (what most would call) living.  And if it’s better to “enter life” while seeing the “cut off “ parts being cast into hell, then (eternal) life is hell’s opposite.

The truth of the matter is that you can’t miss the loss of something you’ve never had to begin with.  If you don’t have health insurance or a 401K, you won’t know the grief of losing one.  You can imagine—you can empathize—but you can’t know, and so it goes with the peace of God midst the trials of man—or the joys that others will afford you—if you let them.

When my first wife was alive, we taught a Sunday School class of about 25 mentally handicapped adults (although I think the truly handicapped were the “normal” folk that refused to interact with them, concerned that some unrecognized fear of the encounter would bring dreadful evil to fruition).  We did this for a dozen years or so, and they were absolutely delightful.  The interesting thing is that when one would die, I would find out how old they actually were.  The lack of worldly cares left them wrinkleless, and those that were afraid to interact with them wound up missing some of the greatest enhancement their worldly lives could have possibly known.  These “normal” ones could have been great sailors—but they wound up missing the boat.

When you heed the voice of the Captain, your voyage is a peaceful one—even midst the rough seas—because you know that true liberty will begin in earnest, when you make it to that final Port of Call--just don't miss the boat!

b(Les)sings

Psalm 49

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
 ²Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
 ³My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
 ⁴I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
 ⁵Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
 ⁶They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
 ⁷None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
 ⁸(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
 ⁹That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
 ¹⁰For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
 ¹¹Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
 ¹²Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
 ¹³This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
 ¹⁴Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
 ¹⁵But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
 ¹⁶Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
 ¹⁷For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
 ¹⁸Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
 ¹⁹He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
 ²⁰Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

TAGS:  BLACK BOY, RICHARD WRIGHT, NEGRO, U HAUL, CUT OFF, 401K, SUNDAY SCHOOL, MENTALLY HANDICAPPED, WRINKLELESS, PORT OF CALL, LIBERTY, CAPTAIN