Bob the Baptist

I am still catching flak about spraying the cyclist with water the other day. I heard from a friend who just read my WFTD and lives in Australia of all places. This guy and I used to fish together incessantly. I used to have a center console boat and the captain, (me), could stand behind the console and stay bone’ dry. Those who stood on the sides of the console could get hit by waves if they were not careful. My friend used to stand to the right of the cabin and I could readily tell when he let his guard down as he would get a far away and silly looking trance-like’ look to his eyes. Any experienced boat captain worth half his salt’, (like me), in a following’ sea can slightly veer the boat to one side or the other and dig the bow into a wave and thoroughly douse whoever is standing beyond the center console with a rather large wave. After one of these perfectly timed shots, and as he stood there with water streaming down his face and his entire body dripping wet trying to pretend that what had happened had not really just happened, I would casually ask him, “Did that one get you?”

My friend read about the cyclist getting sprayed and offered the following: “Well I could have predicted that puddle shot long before you even saw the opportunity, given the permanent part’ in what’s left of my hair from all of the waves you hit on purpose to nail me…you forgot to add that to your story, so maybe you can feature this in another one…but of course then everyone would begin to get a feel for the true depth of your love of having fun…which is what I’d call it. I notice you think it’s funny when you’re on the receiving end too…if the guy on the bike had any sense of humor he was probably laughing too.”

This brings me to an interesting question, why do I do things like this? Is it my love of fun like my buddy wrote? Do I have an innate urge and sub-conscious desire to baptize people who do not want to be baptized? As a kid I used to get in trouble all of the time. Sometimes for fighting, sometimes skipping school and going hunting or fishing, sometimes for smoking in the bathroom, kissing my girl friend in the hall, disrupting class, and on and on My mother called a family meeting one time in the dining room of our home after a lengthy call from the school authorities. My mother, father, brother and I were all present seated around the table with them on the sides staring me down and me at the end. The purpose of the meeting was to try and determine why I was always getting into trouble. She decided to ask each family member what in their opinion was the root cause of it all. When my brother was asked, he slowly looked me up and down, and after his careful and measured study and scrutiny, wryly remarked, “I don’t know, bad seed’ I guess”. Everyone thought that was hilariously funny, (including me).

I owned a black Lab for many years and he was superbly trained. He was my best friend and I was his. On rare occasion he would deliberately’ ignore my commands. He knew he would get a whipping, but he could not resist. One day we were duck and goose hunting in Arkansas. We saw some deer standing on the edge of a corn field. My faithful lab Bear saw them too. He turned and looked at me with a grin on his face and I told him, “don’t you even think about it”. Off he went. I blew my whistle and he stopped and turned and looked me right square in the eye and then with no hesitation, took off again running after the deer with reckless abandon. Eventually after he had experienced great fun chasing those deer all over that cornfield and on into the hardwoods bottom beyond, he came slinking back and received a whipping to remember.

I don’t care what anyone says about animals not having cognitive capabilities, that dog thought about it and considered the circumstances and then rebelliously made the decision to do it anyway knowing full well that he would eventually reap what he sowed’. He knew he would get a whipping but he just did it anyway.

Why? I don’t know, Because’ that is why Why did I cut up in school knowing I would get a paddling or otherwise get in trouble? It has caused undo sorrow in my life on more than one occasion I can tell you.

Whatever the reason, condemnation should come from Jesus and not my fellow man. Please do not send me any more nasty e-mails about this subject. We are instructed to leave the job of judging and retribution to the Lord. Jimi Hendrix once sang a song with lyrics similar to the following, “I am the one that has to die when it is my time to die – so let me live the life I want to”. Hendrix soon thereafter died from a drug overdose and drowned in his own vomit. We all reap what we sow and we should consider carefully that God is not mocked. Thank God that Jesus forgives us rebellious fools and offers salvation. I did not kill my Lab when he disobeyed me and I loved that dog with all my heart, but I still gave him a whipping to remember. God does the same and when tempted to do something rebellious and stupid, think about it. There are consequences to every action just like throwing a rock at a window. When tempted be prepared for the outcome, it just may not be worth it.

Hebrews 12:5
“My son do not make light of the Lord’s
discipline,
And do not lose heart when He rebukes
you,
Because the Lord disciplines those He
loves.