Emergency, Emergency!

"What are you going to be when you grow up?” If you ask my son this question, his answer will be “a fireman.” Over his short forty-five month life, he has told us that he is going to be a Chinese-food worker, a Pizza Hut worker, and a few other occupations, when he grows up. The latest, a fireman, has come after being introduced to the movie “Fireproof.” Though it is a movie that involves the subject of marriage, what my son takes from it is the thrilling life of “Fireman Caleb.” Caleb is the main character in the movie, played by Kirk Cameron.

Wanting to be a fireman has invoked a wide range of imaginative play. He takes the plug-in side of a cell phone charger to be the walkie-talkie that a fireman uses. He has used his bicycle helmet to be fireman’s helmet. He uses a smaller oatmeal container with a bungee cord through it as an oxygen container. It is rarely a dull moment when his imagination is in full swing and “Fireman Caleb” comes out to save the day.

Recently, I found a toy fireman’s hat and got it for him. When I showed it to him, he was very excited. I love his over-the-top showing of excitement when he receives something he really likes and the receiving of this new toy was no exception.

Recently, my son was going through his pre-bedtime ritual when I heard him exclaim, “Uh oh, Dad, your razor is in the toilet.” I ventured into the bathroom to find that one of the attachments to my mustache trimmer located at the bottom of the toilet. Upon my arrival at the toilet I said “Yep, that’s what it is.” My fourteen-month old daughter is growing more capable of taking things she finds in the house and putting them in places where one would commonly find water. As I start to reach into the water I hear my son come running from his room exclaiming “Emergency, emergency!” He had gone into his room to put on his newly acquired fireman’s hat. Now he came into the bathroom with only a t-shirt, underwear, and his toy fireman’s helmet.

As I pulled the attachment out of the toilet, I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically. The scene provided quite the entertainment.

As I thought about this situation, I couldn’t help but to think about how God must have his moments where He watches us scurry around in our “emergency” situations. My son’s “emergency” situation was no emergency at all. For him he was just playing fireman. However, in his pretending he was serious. He wanted to make sure and have his hat on so that he would be protected for the job.

As I go through my life being on God’s “team” there are times that I see a situation as an emergency and He must think, “Relax, I have this all under control.” Do you go through situations like that? Are there situations that come up that are major to you, at the time, causing you to become frazzled? However, in the grand scheme of things they are pretty little? Maybe it is losing your keys, missing a turn, forgetting an assignment at home, or a host of other issues we face.

Does God become worked up over those types of examples? I seriously doubt it. So why do we? One reason, because they are an “emergency” to us. When you miss your turn you may be heading to a job interview or some other event in which you are on a timeline. When you forget an assignment at home you are in jeopardy of having your grade lowered.

When the Israelites were in front of the Red Sea and the Egyptians were coming from behind, they, in their mind, were in an emergency. “Emergency, emergency!” they exclaimed. Though their words are paraphrased, “Why did you bring us out here to die to the Egyptians? You should have left us back in Egypt!” Putting the human aspect to the scene, I wonder if God was thinking something like, “Relax, I have it all under control. I need the Egyptians to come closer so that they will follow you across the Sea and then I can wipe them out, protecting My people.”

Are you in the middle of an emergency? I have my own emergencies often as deadlines approach. However, we must remember that God has these things all under control. As for a real emergency, that’s for another time.