During the 1950’s and 1960’s, hydroplane racing was big in Seattle, Wa
shington. The city held an annual festival in late summer called Seafair, which culminated in a big race on Lake Washington. This lake forms the eastern border of the city. The race
featured the large, unlimited boats, and attracted about a dozen major boats from around the country. The southern suburb where I lived even sponsored a boat for a few years, “Miss Burien”, and during Seafair week, Burien would have its own parade, with the boat as the main feature.
About that same time, on college campuses across the nation, bed racing had become rather popular. Groups (mostly fraternity guys) would put bicycle wheels on metal beds and race them down the street. So it was that the summer between my junior and senior year in high school, about six of us guys got together to build a racing bed and join the Burien parade. What better way for many
of our classmates to see us in our glory. We were uninvited, of course.
We joined the procession about two blocks down from the official starting point and were moving right along – for about five blocks. Then some officials stopped us and pointed out that we were not registered to be part of the parade (They may not have liked the purple bedspread!), and shunted us off to the side. Undeterred, we continued our parade one block over on a parallel street. However, we were never able to make it to the official finish line of the parade. Too many gendarmes were present in that part of town. But we had run part way, so went home in triumph.
This experience reminds me of several stories in the Bible – one about a messenger who wanted to run, but was told he had no message to deliver, so was not to run. He ran anyway, but accomplished nothing good. The other story is about the apostle Paul, who said he had finished the race, and had won a crown. Like the messenger, we were not supposed to run, but the desire for notice pushed us on. Unlike Paul, however, we did not finish the race, and there was no real glory except that which we heaped upon ourselves. We worked hard. We wanted to look good, but we didn’t follow the rules. And the officials had nothing good to say about us.
It is so important that we get in the race, but we must do so according to God’s route. Having a beautiful outfit and being noticed by others accomplishes nothing if we run on a parallel side street.
Now, watch out for the pedestrians and parked cars.
Dr. G
shington. The city held an annual festival in late summer called Seafair, which culminated in a big race on Lake Washington. This lake forms the eastern border of the city. The racefeatured the large, unlimited boats, and attracted about a dozen major boats from around the country. The southern suburb where I lived even sponsored a boat for a few years, “Miss Burien”, and during Seafair week, Burien would have its own parade, with the boat as the main feature.
About that same time, on college campuses across the nation, bed racing had become rather popular. Groups (mostly fraternity guys) would put bicycle wheels on metal beds and race them down the street. So it was that the summer between my junior and senior year in high school, about six of us guys got together to build a racing bed and join the Burien parade. What better way for many
of our classmates to see us in our glory. We were uninvited, of course.We joined the procession about two blocks down from the official starting point and were moving right along – for about five blocks. Then some officials stopped us and pointed out that we were not registered to be part of the parade (They may not have liked the purple bedspread!), and shunted us off to the side. Undeterred, we continued our parade one block over on a parallel street. However, we were never able to make it to the official finish line of the parade. Too many gendarmes were present in that part of town. But we had run part way, so went home in triumph.
This experience reminds me of several stories in the Bible – one about a messenger who wanted to run, but was told he had no message to deliver, so was not to run. He ran anyway, but accomplished nothing good. The other story is about the apostle Paul, who said he had finished the race, and had won a crown. Like the messenger, we were not supposed to run, but the desire for notice pushed us on. Unlike Paul, however, we did not finish the race, and there was no real glory except that which we heaped upon ourselves. We worked hard. We wanted to look good, but we didn’t follow the rules. And the officials had nothing good to say about us.
It is so important that we get in the race, but we must do so according to God’s route. Having a beautiful outfit and being noticed by others accomplishes nothing if we run on a parallel side street.
Now, watch out for the pedestrians and parked cars.
Dr. G
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