I am not prone to clumsiness. I don't usually drop things, run into things, trip over things, etc. Today, however, I had quite the ungraceful moment!I'm currently working in our church library on Monday afternoons. Western Seminary from Portland has their Sacramento campus on our church campus, so there are usually several students in the library on Mondays when I come in.
Before I went to the library, I stopped to get a Jamba Juice. A nice, big, fruity smoothie! I was looking forward to drinking it as I worked throughout the afternoon (it's been hot here lately). I came in through the back door of the library, walked through the back room, and up the three little steps into the library itself. It was at this point that something went wrong.
I don't know how it happened, exactly, but as I stepped into the library I fell. It felt like slow motion...and next thing I knew, I was on my knees with my broken Jamba cup in front of me, all the icy, sweet contents in a pile on the carpet. The two students in the library were perfect gentlemen, going to get paper towels to help clean up the mess, and then later, offering to go to Jamba Juice and buy me another drink (how sweet of them).
I was able to laugh about it -- which encouraged me, because if something like that had happened to me in high school, or even college, I would have been mortified! I was only mildly embarrassed, and soon got over it...which shows me how much I've matured since then. I guess there are perks to getting "old" after all!
But the thing that stuck out to me the most was how the two students bought me another drink, even though they don't know me that well and it was no fault of theirs that I had tripped and dropped my drink. It was a moment of grace...something undeserved. It made me think of how many things God has given me, in His grace, that I don't at all deserve. I'm so glad we serve a gracious God!
Keep your eyes open for a moment of grace in your day today!
6 comments:
What a great story! Just the other day, I flat out slipped and fell walking into the grocery store. Two men were walking out, a middle aged man and his father. They were both extremely caring, asking me if I was alright. The older gentleman helped me up. I also thought about how low my embarrassment level was. You realize everyone makes mistakes and you'd help them if your roles were reversed. I got grace this morning. My cashier at Panera gave me coffee free of charge. Thanks for the tip on the Starbucks and Jesus article!
Thanks, Suzanne. I'm glad to know it happens to other people, too! And that's cool that you got a free coffee!
Sarah, maybe it's the hormones, but this blog entry made me tear up. It's true -- undeserved grace is SO beautiful and wonderful. I want to be an instrument of God's grace in someone's life today. Thanks for the encouragement, my beautiful, not-usually-clumsy sister! I can't wait to see you soon.
Wow, how nice of them to help you like that. When I was at "that particular college that George and I went to," the guys would be too scared to touch a lady to help her up. The whole "no touching" rule.
One of those juices sounds good right now.
Jenn - They didn't help me up, but they helped me clean up the mess! ;-) But that's funny about the guys at your college being paranoid about that!
Hope you can get a smoothie soon! :-)
Jamba Juice! It must be a west coast thing. My friend Jessica from San Jose raves about them. The closest thing we have over here to "juice bars" and the like is Smoothie King.
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