Keeper of the Bucket

Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart form it.
Prov 22:6

My parents put a love of fishing and other water sports in me from an early age. This picture shows just how serious I was about fishing at about age 4. My older cousin Keith and older brother Jeff insisted that I fish in the spring house at my cousin’s Pennsylvania farm because I would catch something big. Look at those two...tricking the poor little hatter.

About the same time, (looks like the late 1950's) my dad told me that he wanted me to be the “keeper of the minnow bucket” so they wouldn’t escape. I guarded it with full abandon. I was too young to really remember these incidents, but it has been fun laughing at these pictures over the years when we pull out the slide projector.

My sister, brother, and I were blessed to have parents who spent time with us in the great outdoors. All three of us love water sports in one form or another to this day. Besides fishing, we water skied, camped, and spent time boating in the gulf.

It has been a tradition we have kept up with our own families. Stephen and I started fishing when he was very young, and we just finished up our last weekend of deer season. Like my parents, I was cognizant not to force him into long periods of boredom in a boat or deer stand when he was younger, as I want him to maintain an interest in outdoor activities all his life.

It is my hope that I walk that same line in his spiritual life. I want him to have the revelation of grace and love that God has imparted to me; the recognition that Christ is indeed his Lord, and God does expect a certain lifestyle out of him, but also a recognition that “it was for freedom that Christ set us free.”

Phillip Yancey tells of his years in Bible college. Between the dress codes, strict dating, mandatory early devotions, the rigidity of religion, etc. he battled what he now refers to as the legalism of ungrace:

In a world of ungrace, structured shame has considerable power. But there is a cost, an incalculable cost: ungrace does not work in a relationship with God. I have come to see legalism in its pursuit of false purity as an elaborate scheme of grace avoidance. You can know the law by heart without knowing the heart of it.
What’s so Amazing About Grace

A friend told me one time that he forced his young son to go fishing with him every chance he could, thinking it would be a great time of bonding. He readily admits now to making several mistakes. He demanded that the young boy sit still in a boat for an entire day while they fished. What seemed like great fun to the dad was a tedious day filled with boredom for the son. My friend wisely warned me to avoid his mistakes, as the boy is now a young adult and never fishes with his dad.

Neither I nor Yancey are suggesting that anyone jerk their kids out of church! But it has become clear to me that church takes place many times in the cab of my pickup with my teenaged son. He asked if he could go to church camp this coming weekend. There will be several dynamic youth speakers and musicians present. Nice having him ask if he can go...instead of us demanding that he go. I think we are catching on to this grace thing.

Mark
Prov 17:22