A Pirates Life...not for me either!

So, here we were at Disney World two weeks ago.  Wayne and I, our daughter Laura and her three children. 

 

I am going to talk about the oldest grandchild...Percy Lee III

He turned 9 just a few days ago.

 

 

 

We took the ride on a boat through the caves of the pirates.  Of course the ride was spectacular like all Disney attractions. 

We floated among the caves, dwellings and stomping grounds of various pirates.  It was cool and damp, the scenery lighted by campfires and smoldering buildings and dingy lamps.  Pirates lounged in filthy tattered clothing occasionally raising a booze bottle in a drunken cheer.  Some sprawled happily in pigpens, some against trees, all incessantly singing

 "Ho, Ho Ho, Ho, a pirates life for me!..." 

 

The music made me feel a strange sensation of romance and exhilaration and I found myself anticipating joyous grand dancing halls,  luxurious gowns and black shiny buckled shoes gliding across polished marble floors.

But in reality, the words of the song, which I just now read...and will not post here, speak of looting and pillaging, ravaging and squander.

That is what we saw depicted there in the caves.

In spite of the seemingly joyous promise of the catchy familiar tune, the intelligible message was deceptive.

Even when we turned a corner and saw  the Captain with tables piled high with gold and every manner of trinkets and baubles, the deplorable scene remained.

 We emerged from the attraction, squinting into the sunshine of the real day, Wayne and Percy Lee and I, and chatted about the amazing artistry and creativity of it all.

Then Wayne expressed what we all had been thinking when he said

 "It doesn't look like such a fine life to me though."

 

And that is when we discovered something wonderful about this little big boy of ours;  He surprised us by saying

 'Yes Poppy, I do not understand why they think the gold is enough!"

 

He is growing up, he is wise and perceptive for a 9 year old I think.

 

How often we grand parents worry about the future and how these little ones will cope with the world they are growing up in.

How can we teach them all they need to know and warn them against all the evils and the "second-bests?"

 

 

 I think we should stop worrying.

  God has put in their minds and hearts the ability to figure some things out.  As they grow and mature and move into discipleship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God will be faithful to teach and guide. 

 

I was worried a little about the influence of the pirates, but I need not. 

 Percy saw the truth. 

 Perhaps it is the influence of family values repeated continually;   the life of satisfaction with daily frugality and the joy of extravagance on vacation and special days. 

His Poppy is a good example of that.

  He lives in freedom and pleasure of spending with the family, in the brightness of  a special day that which he earned honestly on the other days.

Yes Percy Lee, you are right;

 the gold is not enough.

 

 

by Charlene...proud Nana