Yawning At Fireworks

From age 13 to 17, I worked at a fireworks stand. For two weeks surrounding the 4th of July, I sold Roman Candles, Sparklers, Ground Bloomers, Pop Rockets, and innumerable various other items designed to be lit on fire and blown up. Selling stuff that blows up is every 13 year old boy’s dream, right?

I got a discount on the fireworks, of course. So wouldn’t you assume I spent half my paycheck on fireworks for myself? I didn’t. In fact, I ended up hating fireworks. Having some guy in a Rusty Wallace hat ask me 30 minutes worth of questions about what every firework in the stand does, and having to make up as many creative angles as I could think of to tell him: “You light them on fire and they blow up” kind of took all of the joy out of pyrotechnics in general.

By the end of 14 days of selling fireworks for 12 hours a day, I didn’t care whether I ever saw a firework again. These days, when our family is at a fireworks show, and everyone else is oohing and ahhing, I catch myself yawning and looking at my watch.

The principle:

Over exposure means under appreciation.

I sometimes worry that I will get used to what God has done and is doing through our church to reach people far from Him. I hope not. I hope I never yawn and look at my watch during the fireworks… because I’m used to it. I pray that I’ll always be impressed by His display.