Little things can have very big consequences.
I’ve been thinking about this, and it is quite clear through one example.
In 2004 I went to OPC camp for the first time, not knowing anyone. Well, the kids were terrifically friendly, and I had a great time.
On the morning when we were to leave, Mom saw a guy on my team, Andrew, wearing a shirt which had something to do with a speech & debate club he was in. She mentioned to him that I was quite into debating (informally, I assure you), and that was that.
Or so I thought.
That afternoon, as we were leaving, I saw Andrew and said something to him along the lines of, “Hey, goodbye, we’re leaving a day early, it was nice to meet you.”
I was about to learn that Andrew is not a man to be easily shaken from something he was interested in.
I spent the next 45 minutes (I’m not exaggerating, I checked my watch) talking (more of listening) about speech and debate.
Finally, I managed to sneak off, as there were other kids I needed to bid farewell to.
And that was that.
Right.
A few weeks later, while I was in the middle of a Monopoly game, the phone rang. Dad answered it, and here is what I heard:
Dad: “Hello? Hello? It’s who? What do you… oh just a second. Narie, it’s for you. Andrew. From camp.”
me: “Hello?”
Andrew: *who figured I didn’t remember him* “Um, it’s Andrew from camp, the guy with the cheer…*
I remembered him. *cough* How could I have forgotten! He invited me to watch a debate.
I accepted, and went, despite the fact that I had bronchitis and felt like a real dork coughing the whole time. >_<
And THAT was THAT.
No, it wasn’t.
In October that year, I went to an OPC youth rally.
While we were hanging around downstairs, I met a girl. I fuzzily remembered her as having been on my team at camp, and having green pompoms glued to her glasses, but I didn’t know her. And given that kind of prejudice, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to know her! Except for one thing – she mentioned that she was Andrew’s sister.
Well, as Andrew was one of the very few people whom I actually knew, I decided that I’d better get to know her. So Madeline and I spent a while together, and then later that night, when I was looking for a place to sleep in the church basement, she invited me into her room. ^_^ Happy to have a connection, I accepted the offer, and she introduced me to the other girls (yes, she knew them ALL) and so on.
One of them, Abby, was sleeping next to me. That story went something like this:
Abby: *is asleep*
me: *is almost asleep*
Abby: *says in her sleep* “I love you.”
me: *thinks* That’s funny.
Abby: *rolls over and smacks me in face*
So Abby was pretty memorable. I haven’t seen her since, but we talk all the time, and the next year at camp I was inspired to say hello to a kid named David. Literally all I knew about him was that he was Abby’s brother (I don’t know how I knew that but…) and that he had been complaining about Latin at the rally. Good basis for a friendship, right?
Well, we still talk all the time, too.
And so do Madeline and I, and her sister Alexandra and I…
It’s just odd to reflect upon the fact how so many little things have brought me four of my best friends… if David hadn’t complained about Latin, I don’t think I would have remembered him. I may have remembered Abby even if she hadn’t smacked me in the face, but I wouldn’t have known her if I hadn’t known Madeline. I wouldn’t have started writing to Alexandra if I hadn’t known her sister. I probably wouldn’t have gotten to know Madeline (or certainly not so soon) if Andrew hadn’t built some kind of relationship with me first. And Andrew never would have done that if Mom hadn’t complimented him on his shirt, which wouldn’t have happened if he had worn it not at all, or even a day later…
Psalm 33
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
Jeremiah 29
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
It is good to know that I am in the hands of God, who works out all His plans… even through small compliments!
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