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“Kneel down and beg me not to beat you up!”
I was in the sixth grade when a classmate named Larry said that to me. We had just gotten out of school, and several of us were walking to the bus stop. If you’ve ever been the victim of a bully’s daily antagonism, you know what I mean when I say, “It’s a long way to the bus stop.” In that school district, we were given student passes for the city bus, and it was only a couple of blocks away. But a boy like Larry had a way of altering perception — he could make two blocks seem like two miles, and five minutes seemed like forever.
I’ve always been glad that Larry chose those particular words: “kneel down.” Because he said that, I instantly knew how I was going to reply. You see, for me, those words have strong religious overtones. Kneeling down has to do with worship and loyalty. So my response was clear, and no amount of fear would change my mind. I replied, “I kneel to no one but my God!” Maybe some day I’ll tell you what happened next. For now, it’s enough to say that there is no greater delight than God’s approval.
I’m reading Deuteronomy right now, and I was reminded of this incident when I read part of Moses’ speech in Deuteronomy 4:9 — “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.” That made me smile, and I played word games with God at the breakfast table as I sipped my coffee. “Father, if I don’t forget the things my eyes have seen — if I don’t let them slip from my…