Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: Ohio State University

submarine races — February 25, 2026

submarine races

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It is very important to tell the truth, but is it ever better to wait to tell it? 

We were cruising in the moonlight along the Olentangy River Road.  Across the river was The Ohio State University.   As I gazed through the window, I noticed a very long line-up of cars that were parked along the river. 

I figured some big event was going on so I asked, “Daddy what’s everyone doing?”   He paused and said, “They are watching the submarine races.”   And I said, “Wow, dad, can we go?  Please?  I want to see the races too?”

If you don’t already know, “submarine race” is a euphemism – a figure of speech, from the 1950’s.  It was used to describe couples who were parked along the river for the purposes of making whoopee (which is another euphemism).

I wasn’t old enough then, to understand the attraction of the sexes, so dad ignored me and I stewed in disappointment over having missed the big event.

It certainly is important to tell the truth, but the situation and ability of a person to hear truth needs to be taken into account.  Consider Jesus.

He was gathered with His disciples for their last supper together.   The atmosphere was sober, even tense at times.  During the meal Jesus foretold of the things to come such as His betrayal (John 13:18-30); Peter’s denial (13:36-38); His departure from them (14:1-6) and their rejection by their world (15:18-21; 16:1-3). 

The guys must have been bewildered and disheartened to say the least, but then Jesus added these words, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” – John 16:12. 

Jesus still had more to say to them – more truth to impart, but He determined that they were just not able at that time to hear any more and to bear the weight of His words.

“But Jesus, didn’t they need the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?”  Yes – they did – but it would be revealed later.  Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would pick up where He had left off.  The Spirit would soon come and guide them into all truth. (John 16:13)

I have often thought of these words as I have related to other people and have learned that there really are times that we should withhold the truth.  Not to lie, but to be wise about when we speak it.  

– For instance, we need to postpone truth telling when a person is physically not at their best.  If they are in pain, or physically worn out, it’s better to wait.

– We need to hesitate when the person is emotionally stressed.  If they have just lost a loved one they don’t need to hear, nor are they able to hear your well-intentioned advice. 

– When a person isn’t old enough or mature enough to understand the truth, we need to pause. A six-year old doesn’t need a rundown on the dire state of the family’s finances.

– Be considerate if a person is stretched for time.  It isn’t wise for her to talk to him about marriage concerns when he’s walking out the door to go to work.  

Is it important for a person to hear the truth?  It is!  Paul wrote, “each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor” – Ephesians 4:25.   But he also told us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). 

I have found that it’s usually better to speak the truth sooner rather than later but speaking the truth in love requires us to be sensitive to timing and circumstances.

Yep, my dad was wise in withholding the truth about what they were doing down by the river.  He did, however, eventually educate me when he gave me the talk on the birds and the bees (which is another euphemism). 

A PRAYER: Lord help me speak the truth, at the proper time so that it gives grace to those who hear.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®

the 12th man — April 2, 2025

the 12th man

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I visited the home of what some consider a quirky crew – the campus of Texas A&M University.   It began as an agriculture school.  Some students still bring their own horses to college with them. I wonder if they get a free ride.  I attended Ohio State, also an Ag school.  They told me to hold my horses.

I was there at Kyle field to watch the Aggies play some football.  The stands were packed with ordinary students with some odd traditions.  They held out their fists with an upraised thumb and urged their team to “gig” their rivals.

Students would whoop it up when they were excited.  But they are not permitted to whoop until they become upperclassmen.  Is whooping class 301 a requirement?

When the team scored, the ecstatic students turned and kissed their dates.  If you didn’t have a date, you might get kissed anyway.  

And then there was the tradition of the 12th man.  It began in 1922 with an alum named E. King Gill.  He was a former member of the A&M football team and was in the stands to watch them play top-ranked Centre College.   It was a brutal game with nearly every Aggie sustaining an injury. 

The desperate coach summoned Gill down from the bleachers and told him to suit up.  Gill became the 12th man on the team, standing on the sideline waiting to be sent in.  The Aggies, however, prevailed.  So, Gill was not sent in, but he was ready. 

Soon after, the tradition took root.  Today the students stand the entirety of every football game.  They symbolically assume the role of the 12th man, ready for the coach to send them in for the win.

This brings to mind the 4th man tradition.  This one goes back a little farther than 1922, 540 BC to be exact.  Three brave young men were commanded to fall down and worship the image of an egotistical king.  If they defied him, they would be thrown into a blazing furnace. 

These men have always stood out to me as the most heroic of heros in the Bible.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego told the king, “We do not need to give you a reply concerning this. If our God whom we are serving exists, he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. But if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected” – Daniel 3:16-18. – NETBible®

What courage!   They knew that their mighty God could deliver them if He so chose, but even if He should not, they would not bow down and worship the king’s image. 

The king was fit to be tied, so the men were tied up and the furnace was heated to 7 times its usual temperature.  It was so intense it fried the men who tossed them in. 

And yet the King was astounded to look into the oven and see the three walking about, unscathed by the flames – even more shocked to find that there was a fourth man present with them – one the king fearfully compared to a “son of the gods.” 

Who was that person?  That 4th man was more than a man.  He was in fact – a – rather THE – one and only Son of God. 

He was suited up and ready get into the fray to rescue His faithful ones.  But, in this case, the Father gave the order and sent Him into the game, and He used His miraculous powers to preserve our three heroes and help them to prevail.

The Son of God once said to us, “Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me” – John 14:1 (KJV) Jesus is still standing, waiting to be called in when needed.  So call!

A PRAYER: Lord, this is a tradition that I treasure – thank you

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.