When I was an early adolescent, I vaguely remember a television show called “Queen For A Day”. The host surprised some lady from the audience and dubbed her “Queen For A Day”. This dubbing was followed by their inundation with many very valuable gifts, armloads of red roses, etc. The whole theme seemed to be designed to make one woman feel like a queen for a short period of time. Forget the fact that prior to the show she may have been home rearing seven children by herself with little or no financial support from her missing husband. Of course, the “Queen”, at the end of the program, got to return to the same circumstances from which she’d come.

A lot of things about our world bug me. (That may seem strange if you know that I was born with the precious and rather rare optimism gene! (g) ) Politicians come from their multi-million dollar homes and conduct photo-ops with families in the most poverty-stricken areas of our inner cities. Televangelists go to Haiti, donate $100 to an orphanage for the privilege of draping their ministries’ banner across the regular sign, then video tear-jerking, heart-rending scenes of poverty and filth. These tapes are then used to raise funds, sometimes millions and millions of dollars.

Parents abuse their children. Parents abuse their parents. Parents abuse each other. Children abuse fellow children. Sometimes, children kill other children. Sad stories, every one. Most of the pundits, of course, have the answers. They don’t agree with each other, but they still have answers. Ban the guns. Blame television and movies. It’s the teachers’ fault.

Thousands of folks lie in mass graves because one group believes the other group needs to be ethnically cleansed! Bombs are used to blow up school buses full of children of a different faith. People playing God. Not an unfamiliar theme.

All I can tell you is this: Untold people, if they knew the workings of my inner mind, would get on their knees and thank God that I haven’t been named “God For A Day”. It isn’t that I haven’t hoped that God, in His infinite wisdom, would give me that honor. I hear what you’re saying. “God, in His infinite wisdom, knew better than to give PapaJ that honor.”

Humor me for a bit, all right? I’ve thought many times of all I could accomplish to right the wrongs of the world, to settle scores, to deal with the bad guys and gals and lift up the good guys and gals. If I only had twenty-four hours, I’d have to really get a move on. That’s okay. I’m not that patient anyway. There wouldn’t be confessed child murderers left on death row after fifteen or twenty years. Families wouldn’t disintegrate before our very eyes in ever expanding numbers. No one would go to bed hungry. Yep, my wheels of justice would grind much more quickly than His.

Enough fantasy, ok? Relax. God hasn’t appointed me “God For A Day”. Fortunately for the world, God hasn’t granted one of my fondest fantasies! Why do we get impatient with God at times? Well, maybe it’s because He is SO patient! We want to settle matters immediately. He’s willing to wait awhile. God also knows every single fact about every life situation we encounter. Whereas, in our haste, lacking perfect knowledge of all the facts, we might misjudge, convict, then punish rather quickly. He is the ultimate Fair Judge.

God knows that sometimes one has to let the wheat and weeds grow up together until harvest time before the two can safely be separated without damaging the wheat.

Well, rest easy! The small number of deacons, elders, board members, congregants who might have bugged me over the years need not worry. As harried as you made my life at times, I’m not out to get you! As I’ve grown, I’ve come to realize that in my youthful exuberance, I probably tried your patience many times. Maybe there were times you wished you could be “God For A Day”. Maybe it’s fortunate for all of us that none of us have been so honored!

I’ve written a lot of this piece with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. I’ve actually been blessed with a decent life and would have a very short list of folks to whom I’d like to dispense Godly justice. The problems of the world in which I live seem overwhelming at times, though, but I realize that in the long-term scheme of things, God is still on His throne. I understand that nothing happens without His knowledge and permission.

Maybe the challenge God has for me is really this: Can I be “PapaJ For A Day”? Can I fulfill His purpose for my life? Can I set an example for others around me? Well, it doesn’t seem nearly as spectacular to be “PapaJ For A Day” as it does to be “God For A Day”, but, absent His invitation and assignment, I’ll continue doing the best I can! How about you?

Any comments, insights or additions to my thoughts? Hit “Jerry Meyer” below and communicate!

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