Our daughter, Jill, and I usually speak several times a week and we have both been so busy lately that neither of us has had time to really catch up. That was until this weekend when Jill happened to be on the phone with Janet. Admittedly, I came into the middle of the conversation and asked a question. Jill, politely, let me know that she didn’t have time to talk and somewhere out of the depths of my brain, I blurted out that she was giving me the “bum’s rush.”
I even surprised myself. I haven’t heard, let alone used, the term since I was a young boy. It was one of my mother’s favorite expressions and it just came into my consciousness. Of course, Jill had never heard the term and come to think of it, I’ve haven’t heard it since we have lived in Indiana; and that’s almost 44 years ago now!
So I guess a little context is in order. The phrase “bum’s rush” is used when someone is giving someone else the brush-off. It’s said in good fun, but means that the other person isn’t in a frame of mind to stop and have a long conversation. Mom usually used it when my brothers or I wanted to go out and play and Mom wanted to know all about our day at school. We wouldn’t want to speak and she would accuse us of giving her the “bum’s rush.” It just became part of our family vernacular.
Originally, the term carried a much more aggressive meaning. The technical definition is; “a forcible, abrupt, or unceremonious ejection from a place, or a rapid, rude dismissal of a person or idea.” It started in the time of the old saloons. Bartenders would throw out freeloaders or unwanted visitors who would take advantage of the free-lunch counters meant for regular paying customers of the saloon.
Throughout the years, the meaning has moderated a bit but suffice it to say that it’s a slang way of saying that you don’t have time to sit and chit chat. At least in our family, we really didn’t take offense when we were accused of giving somebody the “bum’s rush!” It was more like creating awareness that we were perhaps being less than kind to one another. And, like so many other idiosyncrasies in our family, it just became part of our culture. But I was stunned when the phrase flew out of my mouth during my chat with Jill.
On hindsight, it was kind of funny but I soon found myself looking for Biblical illustrations. One of the things that I try to focus on is to make sure that I spend time in prayer, study of the Bible and working on my relationship with God. However, and I admit this begrudgingly, I sometimes move God to the back of the line. I know this isn’t right but being honest, that happens occasionally. And I know that God can’t be pleased with me when I give Him the “bum’s rush…”
But I also know that God realizes that although I am made in His image, I am not perfect… And while God is a jealous God, He is also a patient God. I have found during my life that when I don’t spend enough time with God, He will wait until the middle of the night to nudge me when I can’t be distracted by anything else. And more than once, I have had ideas or things that I have thought of during my time with God during the watches of the night.
Tonight’s verse is from the Psalms. The psalmist, David, is on the run. His son, Absalom, is trying to kill King David and take over the kingdom. David feels alone and remembers the times that he has felt close to God. However, he is having trouble connecting with our Heavenly Father and as the psalm continues, David tries to become closer to God once again. He tells us, in Psalm 63:6-8, “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”
After his connection with God, David continues to become more encouraged about the future. With God’s help, he regains his optimistic outlook and the psalm ends in a very upbeat manner, with David realizing that God will protect him and vanquish his enemies. My encouragement this evening is that from time to time, we all give God the “bum’s rush.” Thankfully we serve a merciful, compassionate God who understands our human frailties. My prayer is that we will not only spend more time with our Heavenly Father, but that we may become more in tune with one another – realizing that nobody wins when we give people the “bum’s rush”… Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…