Caleb, my middle son, is one of the most competitive people I have ever met. Some people see the world in black and white; for Caleb, in a very innocent way, the world is win or lose.
This worldview revealed itself in two recent episodes. Last week we were watching a show on the Iditarod. After enduring ten minutes of video which described the harsh conditions of the race and what it takes to lead a team of dogs, Caleb burst out with a fit of frustration: 'Who cares about all this? When are they going to show who wins?"
The second episode was more tragic. In our morning Bible study we were finishing up the book of Deuteronomy. In chapter 34, Caleb learned that after Moses died, Joshua was chosen to lead God's people to Canaan. Caleb was outraged. "But dad, Caleb did a good job when he spied out the land with Joshua (a reference to Numbers 13 where Joshua and Caleb are the only spies that trust that God will lead them into the Promised Land) . Why can't he be the next leader. Why is it Joshua? It just isn't fair."
The disappointment on his face and in his voice betrayed the fact that he had deeply identified with his namesake, Caleb of Numbers 13. In his mind, the choosing of Joshua meant that he had just lost.
No comments:
Post a Comment