“What if?”
November 22, 2012
From time to time I tend to worry about “what if” kinds of things. Do you know what I mean? I’m talking about the kinds of things that didn’t go wrong, but they could have, and what if they did? Cammy will frequently bring it to my attention when I do that and then she will remind me of a short scene in “Parenthood” in hopes that it will be an antidote to my worry.
The scene involves Steve Martin being so high about his son’s little league game, and he questions that it is demented that a grown man’s happiness depends upon a 9 year old catching a pop-up! And then he says, “What if he missed?” and his wife said, “But he didn’t.” Martin persists however, “But what if he had?” and again his wife says, “But he didn’t. You threw 12 million pop-ups to him in the back yard. You cut down the odds considerably!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW2ebN3PWT0
How often do you worry about the “what ifs” in life when in reality the odds of them happening is drastically reduced? Or what if the reality is that you could have done something about some “what ifs” but you didn’t? An anonymous poem drives this point home:
Remember the day I borrowed your brand
new car and dented it?
I thought you’d kill me, but you didn’t.
And remember the time I dragged you to the beach,
and you said it would rain, and it did?
I thought you’d say, “I told you so.” But you didn’t.
Do you remember the time I spilled strawberry pie
all over your car rug?
I thought you’d hit me, but you didn’t.
And remember the time I forgot to tell you the dance
was formal and you showed up in jeans?
I thought you’d drop me, but you didn’t.
Yes, there were lots of things you didn’t do.
But you put up with me, and loved me, and protected me.
There were lots of things I wanted to make up to you
when you returned from war.
But you didn’t.
What if in this Thanksgiving season you took the opportunity to say “thank you” to those who have not fulfilled your “what if” worries, but instead, have loved you, protected you, and provided for you? What is you thanked them for being patient with you, and for putting up with you despite the things you have done wrong? What if you do? I’m sure you’ll be happy that you did! (sv)
“ I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…”
Philippians 1:3