My Ticker Tape Parade

To my friends who want to be famous, or ever dreamed it might be wonderful,

I did, too. When I was a youth I got honest with myself once and admitted, “You know, what I really wish? I wish I could have a ticker tape parade in honor of me.”

Then I grew up and saw that fame would be awful. People would bug you everywhere. The best life is in simplicity. Walking your dog. Playing with kids. Mowing your grass.

But I think that old craving probably meant something.

Fame wasn’t what I desired. What I wanted was to be made much of, in a healthy way. To know that I mattered. It’s a basic human need, I’d say. We all have our different ways of looking for it.

My faith teaches me to be humble, not to seek my own glory, though. So I did a double take when I read, “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” ‭‭John‬ ‭12:43‬. Seriously? We can seek to be praised by people, or praised by God? I thought I was the one who’s supposed to praise him. Am I missing something??

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:6‬). There it is again. It says if we humble ourselves, God will exalt us someday. It sounds kind of crazy, but it’s right there in the Bible.

So maybe I will just end with the question — that desire we all have to feel important or to feel loved, or whatever your version of the ticker tape parade is, maybe God put it in you to draw you to himself. Maybe he wants to give you even more praise and attention than you or a lover (which is a good thing) or a thousand people ever could. Could it be?