The Bedroom
For as far back as I can remember, my older brother and I shared a room. We even shared a room briefly in college. Not now though...we are both married...that would be weird. We have always gotten along well together…as long as he did what I said…which he usually did. My little brother on the other hand would often not do as I demanded, which as anyone could see, would cause conflict between the two of us. If only he would have humbled himself a little bit as a child, obeyed and submitted himself to his older and dominating brother, we may have had better childhood relations.
Imagine my dismay when one day my dad approached my older brother and I told us that he had decided to move our little brother into our room. He “said” it was for “safety reasons.” I tried to argue, “What is so unsafe about a basement bedroom tucked in the corner of dry rough cut lumber next to a wood burning furnace and absolutely no windows?” It seemed fine to me. But dad insisted that we “try it” for a few months.
I regret to tell you that it was the worst “few months” of my life. I don’t remember why…but I do remember hating it, so it must have been terrible. After a few months I decided it was time to confront my father on the issue. I took plenty of time to gather my thoughts and reasoning. I rehearsed my speech and was ready to answer all of the hypothetical questions that I could imagine.
When I was confident that I was ready, I marched upstairs with a purpose and approached my dad in the kitchen. “Well Dad…It has been a few months…and well…it’s just not working.”
“What’s not working?”
“Rory in our room. It is time for him to go back to his own room in the basement corner.”
I knew that my dad would argue, but what I didn’t know, was that I was about to receive a tongue lashing unlike anything imaginable. My dad verbally lit into me before I could even argue any of my preconceived points.
The worst of it was, that he was saying that “I” was the problem and that my little brother wasn’t the problem! I wondered if he had even ever met his third born son.
When the dust cleared, I went back to my…the room…that three boys still shared.
In that moment, I fully believed that I was in the right. Even after the lashing, I couldn’t see my own depravity.
I am reminded of what we find in Matthew 15:1-20. In this passage we find Pharisees and Scribes coming from Jerusalem to confront Jesus. In a similar fashion as I received, they receive a tongue lashing from Jesus that reveals their depravity. Sadly, they…like me…refused to see it.
May we come to see the sweet beauty of God’s ways…and follow them…as opposed to our own.
Incidentally, I am pleased to say that my little brother is not nearly as annoying as he used to be...he must have matured a great deal!