(For those of you who follow my personal Facebook page, you will know this story.)
On Monday, I woke up my son, Evan, early so that we could get to school before the mad rush. He missed his freshman orientation while we were at Western Music Institute, so it was advised that we get to school early to pick up his schedule, textbooks, PE gear, locker, etc.
We both had difficulty getting up that morning after being away, following the intense WMI routine for 10 days. But ... it had to be done!
To my surprise, traffic was not as heavy as I had expected. I easily found a parking spot. The admin staff was pleasant, helpful, and genuinely caring as we did our own orientation. We walked through his school's campus finding his assigned rooms. The groundsmen were tending to the lawn and bushes. Repairmen were doing last-minute touch-ups on the roof.
We still had time to spare before the start of school - 15 whole minutes! Instead of leaving him behind to wait for the rest of the school to show up (which Gwyn would've done, by the way!), I decided to shelter Evan in the van as we spent those last few minutes reassuring him that he was going to have an awesome first day.
And then I heard the bell - the 5-minute warning bell. I explained to him that was what we heard. It was strangely still so quiet. No hustle and bustle. No lines of cars. No students darting between traffic. No monitors at the gate. No buses to be seen. No teachers!
Wait a minute! I Googled his school's website. Clicked on the calendar of events. WHAT? It can't be! I thought I checked the dates before WMI. How could this be?
We were A DAY EARLY! School didn't start until TUESDAY! Seriously?!?! I shared the news with Evan. He squealed for joy. I laughed. I apologized that I woke him so early. And then we headed to Peet's Coffee for morning treats.
I'm sure there's a spiritual application here somewhere, but I just wanted to share this story because it was pure fun. It was not what we had expected. We were both dreading that first day, but in the end, it was a delightful time spent together.
I thank God for that memorable day - my boy, a stroll through campus, a cup of chai, a breakfast sandwich, and a tight hug before dropping him off at home for one last day of his summer break.
I pray that this week, you get to experience an unexpected blessing.
On a separate note:
We are blessed to be part of a loving church family. I appreciate how members of the congregation care for each other and their neighbors practically. I don't see everything. I am not omniscient. Only God knows all. But I want to acknowledge the acts of kindness and thank you for the sincerity with which they are done. I know you don't do it for praise. Yet, it is a beautiful testament of God's love in your lives, and we give Him praise (Matthew 5:16).
Keep serving one another.
AnnMarguerite Jones