When as a junior and senior at Poyen High, back in 1967 and 1968, the class hauled chicken manure from local chicken houses to a plant farm and nursery over in Hot Springs. We sold our supply by the pick-up load to raise money for our senior trip which was taken to some faraway place such as a Florida beach or something similar. I don’t remember where they went. For some reason I did not get to go. But hauling manure was squeezed in after school and on weekends, and for me it was in addition to my normal work load on the farm. We had many good times all working together and making delivery to Hot Springs, eating out, and just having a good ole’ time as teens with their sponsor can do. Sometimes the hours were long, shoveling all that chicken manure with a big scoop. I remember one day in particular, we had worked hard, and I was very tired. It was toward dusk and we were through for the day. We were giddy tired. I walked over to the Ford pickup, put my hand on the handle to get in, and I stopped, and with my hand still on the handle, turned my head and announced to my classmates, “Whew, I’m so tired I can’t even get in the truck. I’m gonna have to push it home!” Well, I thought it was a pretty cute quip, and it still gets a chuckle out of me today as I think back on it. You know some things are so stupid they are supposed to be funny. I thought it was funny but I don’t remember anybody else laughing. Well, it was probably because everybody was so tired. I don’t know. Anyway, I still think it is funny and I enjoy remembering it.
Stupid is not necessarily a derogatory term. The first definition from The College Edition of the American Heritage Dictionary is “in a stupor”. Sometimes we can be so tired, we can be in a stupor, and do and say some funny things or things that just makes no sense. One thing we must guard is that we are not in a stupor in spiritual matters. Our eternal destiny hinges on whether or not we truly have a real connection with God through Jesus Christ. That is no laughing matter. If we find ourselves thinking, “I’m okay with God because I am a good person”, we might have our hand on the door handle, but that makes about as much sense as pushing the truck instead of getting in to drive it home. Believing on Jesus is getting in the truck and trusting that the righteousness and work that Jesus did will take you home. It is turning from trying to make it in our own righteousness and strength. Get in the truck to let “him” take you home. We don’t want to be “in a stupor”, attempting to push the truck ourselves. Rest in Christ.