Wrong Place…Wrong Time
March 15, 2020 — Laura House
Many children seem to have a natural aptitude for sports, and Nathan was no exception. If you are the parent of a child involved in sports, you’ve likely attended not only hundreds of games through the years, but also, dozens of award ceremonies, parent meetings, and end-of-the-year banquets.
Over the years, the memories of those banquets have faded, except for one. Our whole family remembers a particular basketball banquet of Nathan’s quite well. It had been a long month and this mama was tired. At least that’s what I’ve always blamed my faux pas on.
After making the main dish and dessert that I had promised, we loaded everyone up and headed to the banquet, held at a local church. As the emcee began explaining the process for getting our food in the buffet line, we anticipated enjoying dinner and watching Nathan’s team get their awards. But, as we gazed around the room while listening to the directions, we noticed something odd. Finally, Nathan voiced what we all were thinking. “Where is everyone?” Searching the room closely, we realized we didn’t recognize anyone—not a single soul. Apparently, I had gotten the wrong night and we were at the wrong banquet!
Surprise turned to embarrassment as we contemplated how to extract ourselves from the middle of the room of strangers. “Should we go get the stuff you made?” my husband whispered. Certainly not!
“Everyone be really quiet and we’ll all leave at once. Let’s get out of here!” I instructed quietly. It turns out that our team’s dinner was the following night. And yes, we went back, hoping that no one knew it was our second appearance there.
I find myself once again in the wrong place at the wrong time. Surely I shouldn’t be in this “club” of bereaved parents! Can I leave and come back tomorrow?
Perhaps you too are living through circumstances that you never dreamed were possible. Our lives down here seem to be full of those.
Since losing Nathan, I see earthly life so differently. For one thing, it’s incredibly short. Any of us could leave here at any moment. But more importantly, I now recognize more fully that our lives here are simply molding and shaping us— preparing us for the permanent life that awaits us in eternity.
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“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” — James 1:24
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”— Romans 5:1-5
