“I DID IT MY WAY”….REALLY?-#6
August 15th, 2026
“In my book I talk about Sinatra and I have a recording of Frank Sinatra singing My Way and its in the 50’s and in that version its a boast. Then he records the song again 20 odd years later—and I have a copy of that— same key, same lyrics—- but that one is an apology….” Bono as told to Brené Brown on the podcast Unlocking Us. Part 1 of 2
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner! I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:13-14
“Is wisdom not found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” Job 12:12
It is an early summer morning and I am sitting at our kitchen table. The sun is already up and there is a flurry of activity in our backyard. Birds dart to and from the feeders my wife has strategically positioned around the yard — cardinals, mourning doves, sparrows, and red-breasted grosbeaks cycling through in speedy intervals to satisfy their morning fix. One of the feeders is a squirrel-proof model that depresses over the seed access whenever anything heavier than a bird lands at its base. This frustrates the squirrels to no end. They perform one acrobatic circus act after another, highlight-worthy feats of determination, only to be denied every time by the stoic feeder. It is like watching Wild Kingdom in a domestic setting.
Then out of nowhere two chipmunks dart across the deck in what appears to be an enthusiastic game of tag — until one suddenly bumps the other directly into the pool. It is a heinous act, executed without a trace of remorse. The pusher briefly surveys his work with what I can only describe as satisfaction before disappearing into the bushes.
I jump from my seat and head outside. The pool jets are doing their part, propelling the tiny creature in unhelpful circles. All his frantic paddling and kicking — and I’ll assume it’s a he — isn’t going to change the outcome. I retrieve a skimmer from the shed, walk the deck beside him and scoop him carefully onto the mesh. Safe. Rescued. Done.
Except he jumps back in.
What are you doing? I think. I’m trying to save you.
He is having none of it. So I scoop him out again. He jumps back in again. We repeat this four times — the chipmunk thrashing, me scooping, the chipmunk rejecting rescue with what I can only interpret as indignation — until I finally just fling him unceremoniously onto the dry deck.
He lands. Scrambles to his feet. Catches his breath. And then — I swear — looks back at me with something resembling a smirk, as if to say “so long, sucker”, before disappearing into the garden.
I laugh out loud. You little nuisance. You have absolutely no idea that you just rejected being saved — and that you think you saved yourself.
I stand there for a moment, still chuckling, and then it lands.
This must be what it looks like from God’s side.
The thrashing. The indignation. The absolute certainty that we are managing just fine on our own. Was this what Bono was getting at in his telling of Sinatra’s first version of My Way? How we operate with autonomy and a sense of self confidence bordering on cockiness and unhealthy self-assurance. Well, I know I did. And to be fair, those traits served me well in a corporate setting. But they may have clouded my understanding of what was actually going on. That grace was being offered, every day all around me. That perhaps so much of my seeming independence was actually God charting the path and leading the way.
Maybe it is the aging that provides context as the verse in Job suggests. The notion that as each year passes, there are indications that things are changing and that we have to make peace with that. But are we paying enough attention to realize that or do we need the unceremonious fling onto the deck? Well SInatra’s second version of the same song may be a hint for all of us. That coming to terms with our own limitations may be a stroke of wisdom that is worth investing in. And perhaps Jesus knew something of that as well—- I think he really did. His contempt for pride and self-sufficiency was only offset by true repentance and humility which tends to happen when you’re not needed as much.
As for me that morning. I put the skimmer away and made my way back into the kitchen and sat down with my coffee, humbled. And not entirely sure that I and the chipmunk were that different at all.