Terrie's Tales - September 3, 2010

You just don’t know what I’ve been going through,” lamented the frustrated mother standing across the desk from me.

As if...

She is shocked when I reveal to her that not only do I know what she is going through, but am experiencing the same situation myself. She picks her jaw up off the floor to say, “You too.” Not just me. Everyone. Everyone has some kind of struggle or conflict in their lives.

Emilee’s recent struggle was with round offs. Perfecting this tumbling trick is imperative to moving on to the next more advanced trick. Lucky for us, the evenings are cooler now and we still have a few patches of green St. Augustine grass. Off we go to the back yard to practice. I spot her. She tries and tries. I try and try to help her understand the mechanics of it. In desperation, I offer to show her how to do one. I’m certain that my perfectly executed (albeit terribly painful) round off will put her on the path to a gold medal. I rebound to find her collapsed to the ground weeping. Rushing to her, I plead for her to tell me what’s wrong. Sobbing she says, “I’ll never be able to do a round off. I’m a looser. Even you can do one.” I brush aside her unintended insult to comfort the poor little darling. By the third night of practice she is accomplished and I have a pulled groin muscle. Her affliction has passed.

One other evening Emilee and I are out riding her 4-wheeler on a “snake hunt” when we come across a neighbor of ours. He tells us to stop and visit his wife. We do. She shows us quilts she is making for her great grand kids, she then leads us to the living room where she delivers some shocking news of her own. One of the 11 people that were killed in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon that caused the oil spill was her grandson.

I am in disbelief. But wait… that’s not all. Within weeks of losing this grandson another who is in service in Afghanistan receives a near fatal wound. Thankfully, he has since recovered. I had no idea that she was going through this awful time in her life. I’m suddenly guilty that I haven’t visited her sooner. I invite her and her husband to church before I leave them.

When I reminded the frustrated mother in my office she wasn’t alone, I was referring to myself. I thought that might encourage her, but what I should have done was referred her to Jesus to help her with her affliction. I missed the opportunity.

Within a few days of the lamenting mother, grieving grandmother, and Emilee’s tumbling travesty, Liza called. She is being tormented by her class schedule. The class work is rigorous. She’s meeting herself coming and going. She can’t sleep and she’s sick to her stomach. Knowing how she feels because I too have lost sleep and have been sick to my stomach for worry for her, I remind her too that she is not alone.

Again, I am referring to myself. Liza answers with wisdom beyond her years. “I know,” she says confidently. “Every time I reach for my chemistry book, before I even open it, I pray to God for him to help me understand what I am about to study.” She gets it. In return, I am humbled and thank God that she does. Now, I am the one reminded that we are not alone.

Hebrews 13:5 …for He hath said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.