To Complain or not to Complain
The Scripture warns us not to complain. In reviewing Old Testament events, which Paul says was written for our learning, he cites a case of the children of Israel complaining. He says, “nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:10). The Israelites murmured about the water (Ex. 15:22-27), about food (Ex. 16:2-3), about water again (Ex. 17:7), and about the Promised Land itself (Num. 14:2). Consequently, the whole nation, except Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness (cf. Num. 14:26-29; Moses didn’t enter the land because he struck the rock twice when he was told to only do it once). The destroyer mentioned here is a destroying angel sent by God.
On the other hand, being content and not complaining is pleasing to the Lord. It is also more pleasant for these around us. There could be other advantages.
Having recently graduated from Fordham, 21-year-old Vin Scully was eager to break into the announcing business. He was tapped by Red Barber to announce the Maryland-Boston University football game on November 12, 1949, at Fenway Park. At that time, Barber was the announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers and host of a college football roundup show on the CBS radio network. Assuming that he would be in a warm broadcast booth, Scully left his coat, hat and gloves in his hotel room.
When he arrived at Fenway Park, he discovered that he would be calling the game from the roof, exposed to the elements. On that mid-November day, the temperature in Boston never climbed above 45°. As darkness fell, with the wind blowing off the Charles River, Scully was freezing, but, throughout the broadcast, he never once mentioned to his listeners his discomfort or his working conditions.
Meanwhile, since the other games being broadcast by CBS that day were not nearly as competitive as the Maryland-BU game, Barber frequently returned to Scully to carry the broadcast. Maryland won the game, but Scully felt that because he was frozen, he had blown a golden opportunity.
Two days later a Boston University official phoned Barber to apologize for the shoddy treatment of their network announcer, explaining the circumstances under which is Scully had to broadcast. Barber had been unaware of what happened. In his autobiography Barber writes, “Vin did a sound job, even though it was bitterly cold and he had to work with a hand mike on the exposed roof. The wind even blew his papers away, but he didn’t complain.” Barber was so impressed with that, he asked Scully to announce the Harvard-Yale game and two months later to join the team calling the Dodger games. The rest, as they say, is history. For the next 60 years (and still going) Scully announced Dodger games.
Scully got his break because he didn’t complain. We who know the Lord should follow Scully’s example concerning complaining, not just because it might get us a break or make us more pleasant to be around, but, in the final analysis, because it pleases the Lord.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 6/30/2009
On the other hand, being content and not complaining is pleasing to the Lord. It is also more pleasant for these around us. There could be other advantages.
Having recently graduated from Fordham, 21-year-old Vin Scully was eager to break into the announcing business. He was tapped by Red Barber to announce the Maryland-Boston University football game on November 12, 1949, at Fenway Park. At that time, Barber was the announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers and host of a college football roundup show on the CBS radio network. Assuming that he would be in a warm broadcast booth, Scully left his coat, hat and gloves in his hotel room.
When he arrived at Fenway Park, he discovered that he would be calling the game from the roof, exposed to the elements. On that mid-November day, the temperature in Boston never climbed above 45°. As darkness fell, with the wind blowing off the Charles River, Scully was freezing, but, throughout the broadcast, he never once mentioned to his listeners his discomfort or his working conditions.
Meanwhile, since the other games being broadcast by CBS that day were not nearly as competitive as the Maryland-BU game, Barber frequently returned to Scully to carry the broadcast. Maryland won the game, but Scully felt that because he was frozen, he had blown a golden opportunity.
Two days later a Boston University official phoned Barber to apologize for the shoddy treatment of their network announcer, explaining the circumstances under which is Scully had to broadcast. Barber had been unaware of what happened. In his autobiography Barber writes, “Vin did a sound job, even though it was bitterly cold and he had to work with a hand mike on the exposed roof. The wind even blew his papers away, but he didn’t complain.” Barber was so impressed with that, he asked Scully to announce the Harvard-Yale game and two months later to join the team calling the Dodger games. The rest, as they say, is history. For the next 60 years (and still going) Scully announced Dodger games.
Scully got his break because he didn’t complain. We who know the Lord should follow Scully’s example concerning complaining, not just because it might get us a break or make us more pleasant to be around, but, in the final analysis, because it pleases the Lord.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 6/30/2009
