Week 12 2013 Responsibility

About a week ago I flew from Florida to California.  This was not a pleasure trip, though there have been pleasurable experiences.  No, this was a trip to take care of our storage shed.  Our daughter has graciously allowed us to place our shed in her backyard for nearly four years.  But, now she is moving, so the shed has to move as well.  So, I came to take care of the project.  We know that our daughter and her husband would have taken care of it, but our shed is not their responsibility – it’s ours.  As such, I felt an obligation to move it to another location.  This was no small feat!  It required the filling up of a Ford Crown Victoria, with only enough room left for the driver, twice, and two trips with my friends pick-up truck – not to mention that my friend, Ben, and I spent several hours dismantling and reassembling the shed.  But, we got ‘er done, and I will rejoin my bride Wednesday morning in Florida.  Praise God!

This venture got me to thinking about how often we tend to shirk our responsibilities.  It would have been so much easier for me to have let Shannon and Stephen take care of the shed.  And, as stated earlier, they would have done so.  If we look hard enough, we can always find someone who will take care of our responsibilities.  Our welfare rolls are full of people who are depending on the government to take care of their responsibilities.  That is not to say that there aren’t legitimate cases of need where people are unable and need the help.  But, there are many who are able and are simply content to push it off on the taxpayers.  I once had a student who said, “Mr. Keen, I don’t need to know how to read.  I’m just gonna grow up and be on welfare.”  Where did he learn that piece of wisdom?

What about those who are quick to make excuses, passing the blame for their poor decisions on to someone else, instead of taking responsibility for their own choices?  Our prisons are full of these kind, those who blame a bad childhood for the way they turned out.  Unfortunate circumstances come into a lot of lives.  We can’t choose our parents, and some people should not be parents.  Many people grow up in less than charmed households.  Some have poor school teachers and role models.  However, there comes a point in life when we must accept responsibility for our own lives.  It is much better to overcome life’s circumstances than to be overcome by those same circumstances.  Furthermore, it is within our grasp to do so!  There are very few people who are unable to overcome.  And, for these, it is our responsibility to help them.

There is hardly a week that goes by without some news story about someone who has overcome some tragedy in their life.  Conversely, there is also hardly a week without some story of someone who has allowed their circumstances to dictate the evil they have committed.  We need to be teaching responsibility to our young.  The hope for the future of our nation depends upon them learning this valuable character trait.  It isn’t always easy to be responsible, but it is always necessary.  The benefits far outweigh the inconvenience.