Jimmy Peacock, Jonah, and Me

A little over a week ago, one of our church members, Jimmy Peacock, went home to the Lord.  He was an incredibly talented musician who used his considerable gift to honor God.  There was a time when we were “between” ministers of music at our church.  I was part of a youth ensemble, The Messengers, and we suddenly found ourselves leaderless.  We were teenagers, but we weren’t dumb.  We knew that chances were awfully slim that anybody would jump in and take charge of us.  There were ten of us and at least one in the bunch had a crisis going on at any given time.  Such is the life of a teenager.  Enter Jimmy Peacock.  He volunteered to lead us.  He wasn’t getting a pig in a poke.  He knew us.  And he took us anyway.  

So, we practiced at all kinds of odd times.  Papa P (that’s what we called him and he didn’t mind!) worked full time and we were all in school.  So we often practiced early in the morning.  Very early.  Back then, 5:00 came once a day for me.  Except when Papa P said we were going to rehearse at 5:00 AM.  Yikes. But, we did it.  We didn’t complain.  Now, Papa P jazzed things up for us and added lots of choreography to our performances.  For one of our songs, he had all the lights go out and we changed our positions and bowed our heads so that when the lights came back on, we were all reconfigured and standing with heads bowed.  The problem was me.  My new “position” was front and center.  Should have been no problem.  But I could NOT remember the head bowing part.  Just couldn’t do it.  And being the person in front left me with nobody to take a cue from.  It was all on me to remember.  So, I said, “Papa P, don’t you think that someone else should have this place since I keep messing it up?”  He said, “No.  That is where you belong.  I’ll help you remember.”  His method was very effective.  The very next time we practiced, I forgot to bow my head - of course.  He reached over and bopped me on the head with the Baptist Hymnal.   It was a gentle tap – as gentle as a hardback book can feel on your head, anyway.  One trial learning took place.  Head bowing problem solved.  For good.  

This week, as I was doing my Jonah homework, I started thinking that there are times in life when we get a little incentive to learn something. It isn’t necessarily a whack on the noggin with a hymnal.  It might be a little more dramatic.  Like being thrown overboard and then being swallowed by a fish.  Not your average rescue.  I read a lot.  A LOT!  And somewhere, sometime I read something that just kind of stuck in my brain.  I haven’t written it anywhere until now.  Here it is – “When the rebel gets going, the going gets tough.”  I know for a fact - it is absolutely true.   And this week, as I did my homework for Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted, I was pretty sure that it became really clear to Jonah.  When being a rebel lands you in the belly of a fish – well, enough said.  If you are ever going to get the point, you’ll get it then.  

So, this week I concluded that God would much prefer that we listen and obey.  I also decided that if we don’t, He won’t be opposed to sending a big fish our way.  

He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. – Proverbs 15:32