"sitting on a seat by the wayside, watching"
1 Samuel 4:13
We spent all of this past weekend at a volleyball tournament. At least it felt that way. 7 am to 2 pm on Saturday; 7 am to 5:30 pm on Sunday. And if you had stopped by on Sunday evening (and thank you for not) you would have seen four truly exhausted people. We stopped for In-N-Out on the way home, knowing we had not much in the house by way of dinner. And all we'd had for lunch was things like granola bars and almonds. In-N-Out never tasted so good.
Seems like only our volleyball-playing girl had a right to be that tired, but getting up at 5:30 am is a recipe for tired for anyone. Plus, it saps your strength to a surprising degree to sit in a beach chair for that many hours. And even though she was the one exercising all day, she's also got high metabolism, and far more energy than her forty-something parents, so it was kind of a wash.
They did so well, both days. So much to cheer about. They've worked hard all year, and there was a lot for us to be proud of!
But I didn't come here to talk about volleyball, per se. Something happened at the tournament I wanted to share. Our team's schedule for tournaments goes something like this: play a match, then our girls might be line judges (ref) the next, then play the next, then we have a break, then ref another game, then play. Done. So when our girls aren't playing, my hubby and son and I might go sit in the car, or get a snack, or go for a walk or the boys might play catch in the parking lot.
But depending on the forum, if you get up and leave your seats when your game is over, you might have trouble finding seats when it's time for your next one. So sometimes people lay a jacket or a seat cushion on their seat, so it will be waiting for them when they return for their next match.
The bad part of that is, it might prevent a parent from having a good seat to watch their own child play. They might have to sit farther back, or at a bad angle, because the front seats are "reserved". So we generally don't do that. It just doesn't seem fair for us to "hold" a good seat, and keep someone else from using it.
Well, we kinda paid the price for that this weekend. We had great seats for her first match, but had to sit way off to the side when we returned. Meanwhile, I watched a woman put her jacket on her front-and-center seat, and then leave.
It was one of those times when our kindness seemed to punish us. When the "offenses" we refuse to commit, were committed against us.
Happens to me on airplanes, too. I absolutely refuse to recline my seat on airplanes. I think it's just too cruel to the person behind me. And yet, without fail, the person in front of me reclines theirs, almost mocking my consideration of others.
So what's the deal there? Is it simply that this is what most people do, and I only notice it because I don't? Because I'm more aware of it?
Or, I wonder, is it that we are being tested as to our convictions? Like Job's wife continually tempting him to cave to the idea of turning on God. The more it seems that "everyone is doing it", the harder it seems to be to refuse.
It's a reminder to me that the standard I'm supposed to meet is His, not the world's. After all, the world's "norm" is often selfish, and ever-changing. And boy, do my emotions desperately desire to have some impact on my decision. What I want is going to seem paramount, unless I have disciplined myself to remember things like "Love thy neighbor" and "Turn the other cheek".
And it's a reminder to me to do what I know is right, no matter what others may do.
~ "If it is possible, as much as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone" ~
Romans 12:18
~
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