Articles
Knowing What's Right
The following mind-boggling attempt at a crime spree appeared to be the robber’s first, due to his lack of a previous record of violence, and his terminally stupid choices:
→ His target was H&J Leather & Fire-arms — a gun shop.
→ The shop was full of customers —firearms customers.
→ To enter the shop, the robber had to step around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door.
→ A uniformed officer was standing at the counter, having coffee before work.
Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a holdup, and fired a few wild shots. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, covered by several customers who also drew their guns, thereby removing the confused criminal from the gene pool. No one else was hurt.
Reported by The South County Journal in Kent, WA on February 3rd, 1990: http://www.darwinawards.com/
Alan Lakein is quoted as saying, "In all planning you make a list and you set priorities." I can't help but believe that the above mentioned individual had a pretty short list. Lakein's quote makes a lot of sense, but there's one I like better.
In 1954, “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier” debuted on ABC television‘s “Disneyland”. From that series was born the line, “Be sure you’re right and then go ahead. It’s up to you to do what Davy Crockett said.” The real-life Crockett had actually said, “Know you’re right, then go ahead.” but that’s hardly significant to what followed. To many kids, young and old, the coonskin cap Fess Parker (who played Crockett) wore in the series represented a lifestyle that became a moral compass and yardstick of right and wrong. Millions of 1950’s dollars were spent on merchandise and when the spring of ’55 came, kids by the thousands were sporting their own coonskin caps while running through backyards and neighborhoods battling Mike Fink the riverboat pirate and saving the Alamo from Santa Anna.
“Be sure you’re right and then go ahead.” Apparently our aforementioned would-be holdup man wasn’t familiar with the Crockett series. Now so far as I’m aware or can remember, Davy never once gave us bad advice over the run of that show but pondering that particular phraseshould leave us with a really important question: In a world filled with confusion, differences, and division over the "right" way to serve the Lord, “How can we BE SURE we’re RIGHT before we go ahead?”
Thankfully, that question was answered for us long, long ago.
“... the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walks to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).
“Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4,Deuteronomy 8:3)
Mary, the mother of Jesus, spoke words regarding her son that are a life’s lesson for all people of all generations”: “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5) It’s not such a bad idea to read those words as if they were being spoken to us.
May the Lord help us all to settle on what’s right by an understanding of His word and to “be sure we’re right” upon that standard alone.
~Teddy Horton
