Time is a Relative Thing

Okay, so I am notoriously late wherever I go. I still remember the day several years ago when I actually dorve up to the church "on time" for a youth event I was sponsoring. My best friend and her husband were the youth pastors at the time and she had told me the time that we were leaving. As I pulled into the parking lot and around the building, I was surprised to see that none of the young people had arrived yet. After questioning my friend, she informed me that we were not leaving until 30 minutes later.
"BEK!! WHEN did I become one of those people?!?!" I cried!
"What people," she asked.
"Those people you tell we are leaving 30 minutes earlier than we actually are so they will be there on time!"
Go ahead. Laugh. She and I still laugh about that day. I am so pathologically late that Chad felt the need to make a statement on the 5th of this month. We were pulling out of the driveway in completely enough time to arrive ON TIME to a funeral we were attending. Let it be placed upon the record that I did not make us late. We were on time...even a couple of minutes early. Chad, however, is one of those people who believes that if you are not 15 minutes early, you are late.
So, back to the driveway...he says to me, "Honey, I've just decided something."
"Yes, dear..."
"Well, if you go before I do, I have plans for your funeral."
"Okay...?"
"We will start the funeral on time, but ten minutes into it, we are going to stop everything and wheel you into the sanctuary and place you in front of everyone, because, honey, you will be late to your own funeral!"
I was not amused. Okay, so I was mildly amused, BUT WE WEREN'T LATE TO THE FUNERAL!! Granted, it was in a gymnasium and we were paraded in front of EVERYONE and seated on the bleachers to the side and in front of the family. I was embarassed, but seriously, we were there on time...and I looked good so it wasn't like the family had to look at a troll or anything. I suppose I should have gotten there a half an hour earlier. Point taken.
But, that is not even the main point of this bit of rambling. Yesterday, my oldest son, Alex, was scheduled to play in the Stephens County Basketball Tournament in Marlow. That is about a 25 minute drive from my front door. I dropped Jonathan and Christopher off at work at 3:45, exactly one hour and 15 munutes before I intended to arrive at the gym. I took my time, returned the movies, stopped for gas, got a soda and still arrived ten minutes early. I was feelin' good about myself. I was finally going to see a tip off! I grabbed my book and headed for the door, paid my entry fee and headed for the bathroom...I had been on the road longer than 15 minutes and my bladder knew it. As I walked passed the entryway to the court, I noticed several girls were shooting baskets...halftime of the previous game, I assumed. As I exited the restroom a couple of minutes later I heard the announcer say with gusto, "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Stephens County Tournament," and that's when realization slapped me down, pointed, and laughed at me. Alex's game was NOT starting in a few minutes. I hurriedly sought out a bracket only to realize I had looked at the wrong one at home. I had looked at the girls bracket, and clearly, Alexandre is not a girl. Upon further scrutiny, I found that his game was not scheduled until 9:00 that evening! NINE O'CLOCK!! I couldn't even play it off like I'd just wanted to get there early to support our girls team. Our girls weren't even playing in the game that was being sung in by some girl belting out the National Anthem a few yards from where I stood. That game wasn't even until 7:40. I WAS FOUR HOURS EARLY!! I tried to retreat, but was met with a sign on the door that read, "If you leave the gym, you will have to pay to return." Following an exasperated sigh, I had to tell the gate worker what I had done, confess my stupidity, and beg for leniency. She attempted to stifle a giggle and handed me two things: a ticket to return to the later game and a copy of the bracket...exactly like the one I had looked at earlier in the day to determine my timeline for attending the game would be! There is nothing like having to tell someone at a rival school what an idiot you are! As I drove out of the parking lot to drive the 20 miles home, I tried to call Chad and tell him I was early to the game, but when I couldn't reach him, dialed my best friend's number. I didn't even tell her who I was I simply said, "I just thought you might like to know that your best friend is an idiot!" I managed to make it back to Comanche relatively unscathed. I casually made my way to buy a newspaper, picked up the boys from work, drove home, waited for Chad to get home so I could regale the story yet again, listend to him laugh, ate a salad for dinner, and proceeded to tend to farmville on the computer. Then Chad said to me while attempting to disguise his amusement, "Ummm, Honey, have you noticed the time? You're going to be late if you don't leave pretty soon." In my head I screamed, "I DON'T CARE," and stuck my tongue out at him. Outwardly, I ignored him, fertilized three more friend's crops on Farmville, and then rose to leave. I listened to the girls game on the way over to Marlow...for the second time. When the clock struck 9:00, I was three blocks from the gymnasium and the radio announcer said there was a minute and a half of play left in the girls game. I walked in late. Completely unashamed. Feeling somewhat entitled to the belated entrance. I was able to find a seat BEFORE Alex's game began. I did see a tip off...somehow, seeing it did not improve my enjoyment of the game.

So, this morning I was thinking about it all, and it occurred to me that GOD is never late. He doesn't rush to necessarily fix things fifteen minutes early. He is ALWAYS right on time. I'm so thankful for that. If the tip off of an extremely difficult battle occurred without God right there on the sideline cheering me on I would be without hope. I suppose I do need to make a greater effort to be on time more frequently. It would probably eliminate a great deal of stress in my life. The fact of the matter is, though, I am currently of the mind that if I am indeed running ahead of schedule at any given point in time, I have obviously missed a step somewhere along the way. Something must be off kelter in the universe. I may arrive three towns away, four hours early, or possibly on the wrong day. I'm just so thankful God has his head screwed on straight and His timing is always perfect. I also think it may be possible that he created me to provide humor for him. Think about it. It does make sense! :o)