Revenge is not mine….

I bet most of you reading this have had a boss who you either loved or hated. In my over 40 years in the construction trades, I have had a lot of them. I have to say for the most part I got along with most of them. And even the ones I could not tolerate, I did my job, shut up and stayed under the radar. But there is always that one guy who no matter how you go-a-long to get-along still finds ways to get under your skin. In my career that was, Jim ‘Big Daddy’ Rathe.

Big Daddy got his name because he resembled the actor and singer, Burl Ives. I know that name is a blast from the past and for some of you younger folks he may not even register. But back in the day he was well known and to 50’s and 60’s movie goers his best and biggest role was in a movie version of Tennessee Williams ‘Cat on a Hot, Tin Roof’. There he played the patriarch of a southern family; the Pollitt’s and he was known as Big Daddy Pollitt. The movie was a yawner for me, too stereotypical in every way, even with Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor heating up the screen. But like most folks, I could not help but love to hate Big Daddy. And Jim Rathe not only resembled Burl Ives physically, it seemed to me he studied the movie character, because he played the Big Daddy part pretty well every day of the week.

I met Big Daddy when I was working on a TVA dam resurfacing job. We were working 7/10’s (7 days a week, 10 hours a day) That was the reason I had boomed into this project for the overtime and the money it paid. It was a nasty job from the get-go, mosquitos, gnats and deer flies 10 hours a day. Along with some of the hardest reinforcing work I had done in my career. But it was made all the worst because Big Daddy was on the job and on my case.

I was never sure if it was because I was a northerner or because I was a long-haired hippy type, but it started the minute I walked onsite. I handed my referral to him at 6:00 AM, in plenty of time for a 6:30 start but it did not seem to please my boss, he said, “John Weston. It says here you are a Local 1 boy. Well, I guess up there in that local you fellas can mosey on to the job any old time. But here we like to get the jump on it. We startin’ at 6:00 you should have been here a half hour ago.” With that he was out the door saying over his shoulder, “Seein’ you is already late, grab that spool of cable yonder and let’s see if you can weave me some 20’ chockers.” That put fear in me right off the bat, I had not wove cable since my apprenticeship and I am sure Daddy guessed that, because I saw brand new store bought chockers in the gang box. He was going to test me and hope I failed. I did not and that seemed to irk him even more. From than on it was a contest. Insults and giving me every nasty job, he could think of did not chase me down the road. His constant calling me ‘long hair’ even though half the guys on the crew had longer hair, did not sway me. I hung in for the full duration of three months. I thought the day he was signing me out, then at least, he would give me a small nod of approval. He never did. In fact, as I was picking up my gear, he said, “Son, you are a sad example of an Ironworker, but then, I guess I couldn’t expect more from a scrawny, long-haired boy like you!” I knew he wanted me to take a swing at him, but I just said, “Big Daddy, someday you will live to regret you ever said that. But for now, ____ ___” I won’t write the words I used, but they were full of venom.

I have often wondered how I would have reacted to Big Daddy if I was a follower of Jesus back then. I look at it now and know that I tormented him as much as he tormented me. I thought I was being the ‘bigger man’, I mean he started it and kept on me, but the worst part of the story is a held a grudge about it for a long, long time. And in the end, I did get revenge on Big Daddy. I will tell you about that but first I want to say, I have regretted and confessed it along with my other litanies of sins.

The book of Romans says this, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. (Romans 8: 19-21)

In my life before Jesus I lived for revenge. Holding on to grudges for years. And nothing gave me more pleasure than finally giving someone their comeuppance. I never saw how holding on to that hatred, ruined my life more than theirs. And I wish I could say that today, the attitude of the verse above was how I always live. But anger and revenge still well up in me. But, all praise to God, there is a difference. I now see it for what it is and with the power of the Holy Spirit turn it over to Him who had no guile, who died saying, “Forgive them Father they know not what they do.” How big is that? How little is my puny vengeance? I can now, sometimes with effort, lay this sin at the foot of the cross. Thank you, Jesus!

As I said. I did get my revenge on Big Daddy. He came to work on a nuke plant where I was a foreman. Even though he did not work on my crew, I found ways of making his life miserable. Such a waste of time. Such a waste of energy. Too much of my life has been wasted in anger. If you are struggling with it: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” Peace, my friends, it is wonderful!

Blessings,
John
4/8/19

Author: John

Christian blogger