Last week was another "first week off" from sugar. It was bad, in so many ways! I offended so many people. One of them was my sweet little seminary gal. We'll call her Surfer Girl. So, to be honest, Surfer Girl is one of our least well behaved students (she has admitted this herself though I am quite sure reading the truth would be a different thing!). No matter that she is a senior, and our class president, and totally delightful and responsible in sooo many ways. (If you're reading this SG, you know it's true!), she can really push your buttons ( you know that's true too, sweetie), if you know what I mean. So far I have happily maintained a sense of love and affection for her. If she came in stomping her feet and declaring that she hated seminary I didn't take it personally. When she rolled out her homework and ignored my efforts at the lesson I could calmly choose to address it or ignore it depending on the day. Her declarations of "This is stupid" while we attempt to get a good ole Scriptury Mastery game going received mostly patient corrections on my part.
Not true for last week. At one point she gave me a wicked little smirk and asked, "So, is SOMEONE having a bad day?" when she noticed my distress at not being able to find a game piece for the activity I had spent hours preparing. It seemed obvious to my deranged and addicted mind that she meant it as a jab. She seemed thrilled knowing that I was stressing out. I quickly offered that I would be happy to find her a place in someone else's class. Mmmmmhmmm! That's right baby. I stuck it to her. Gave her back a little of her own medicine. She had it coming, right?!
So why did I feel so stupid? How come I thought about her off and on for days afterwards? And I wonder why, after that, she seemed like my little enemy instead of my dear little Surfer Girl? I was sure she hated me. All respect was thrown out the window (the addict in me is VERY dramatic, hee, hee)! I had damaged our relationship beyond repair, blah, blah, blah.
A little voice inside my soul whispered, "It's going to be o.k." "Everyone has a bad day." Oh, and lest I forget, "You do need to apologize." So I set my heart on talking to her but wondered how I would find the opportunity. Should I speak to her face to face? Call her on her phone? Text her? Email her? I wasn't sure how big or small the apology should be or what I should say. All I knew was that I had some cleaning up to do.
Wouldn't you know it? Sunday. We're sitting in church. At one point into the meeting Jeremy leaves to the restroom. Riley is already in the back monitoring the door as the 14 year old boys do so I am left alone. Late and scurrying in a hurry, here comes the valuable moment for which I have been hoping. Surfer Girl and her mom plop down in my row. It's never happened before.
It took me about 30 seconds to write out the short apology on the back of my used grocery list. Basically I reminded her of what I had said and told her that I loved her and that the truth was I would miss her terribly if she were not in our class. I meant it from the bottom of my heart. Her response? Pretty typical. There was a lot of "Ha, ha, ha" and a "I don't even remember that." but then there was the important part, "I forgive you."
More than serendipity is my vote. I count it as one more small but powerful miracle in my life.
By the way, Surfer Girl was the rockin' best she has ever been in seminary today ( mostly because she's done with her assignments!). I think she'll change the world!! She's that cool!
