I Am Tony...

I am a NCIS fan. It is one of those rare television shows that actually seems to get better with every season.

NCIS has been broadcast on CBS since 2003, and there is good reason for its longevity. The stories are well-written and thoughtful issues are presented.

NCIS stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service. There are two characters that have been with the show since its beginning that particularly grab my attention: Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Senior Field Agent Anthony (Tony) DiNozzo.

The mutual respect between these two characters is very evident, though their personalities are vastly different. Jethro is sober, serious, and an innate leader, always using his teams talent to the max. Tony is intelligent, gregarious, and frequently sticking his "foot-in-his-mouth."

When I first began to watch NCIS, I detested Tony. He seemed such a cad - always about himself. But as the characters developed, I discovered something important. Jethro valued Tony.

Jethro's superiority to Tony is never in question. This is consistently observed in every show when Tony will playfully receive a slap in the back of the head from Jethro. It is never contested. Tony knows that he deserves it and he receives it humbly.

It struck me one day that these two characters have a parallel in my life. For me, Jethro is God. I am Tony.

The times God has slapped me on the back of my head are too numerous for me to count. There are times my thinking has been wrong-headed and I have received the slap. There are times I have run ahead of what God is doing in my life, and I have received the slap. There are times God has laughed at my inane standards and He has slapped me again.

All deserved. Yet God continues to call on me as His trusted partner.

Ain't grace grand?

The people I love, I call to account — prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!

Revelation 3.19 (The Message)