And the Winner is . . . Number 5!
We were sitting in the hall of the local Canadian
Legion, patiently awaiting the verdict of the judges. It was hard not to
assimilate the tension emitted by the 15 grade 7-9 students. Each one of
these young people had just made a powerful public speech, and each one
deserved to win. Each one hoped to hear their number called for the Number
One position, but only one would be chosen.
With the competition so stiff, I couldn't help but think that my son's
speech, as excellent as it was, didn't stand a chance. After all, it was his
first year in school, his first year in an organized Enlgish class, his
first try at public speaking. The only reason he was here at all was that
his speech was judged to be the second best in his class, and then the
second best in his school. And his classmate, the one who had taken first
place in class and at school, was also here, sitting in front of us, and her
speech had been four-plus excellent. Though I had a personal bias towards my
son's speech, she had already beat him twice. And that was just one of the
other fourteen kids!
To make matters worse, my son was sick. He had been home from school for the
past two days with a stomach bug, and although he was looking better, I knew
he wasn't yet himself. I shook my head sadly. Yes, it had been a good
experience for him, but I couldn't help but put together my own speech in my
mind--the speech that I would deliver to him on the way home about how
winning isn't everything . . .
Tension mounted as the judges came out of their room and handed the MC a
list. Although two from each local school were chosen to compete at the town
level, only one from the town would be chosen to go on and compete for the
region. There would no longer be any place for "second best". I sighed and
looked away. My poor son . . . He had worked so hard to improve his speech .
. .
"And the third-place winner is . . ."
I looked up. It didn't mean going on with the competition, but number three
would be a spot of honor. Maybe my son was third place . . . I held my
breath . . .
"Number 1!"
Disappointment flooded my heart. Number 1 had been an excellent, interactive
speech. If that speech was third place . . .
The applause died down and the MC picked up his notes. "And for second
place, the runner-up position . . . If the first place winner decides to not
go on with the competition, it will be this contestant who represents our
town at the regionals . . ."
I didn't dare look up. It wouldn't be my son . . .
"Number 11!"
I wasn't at all surprised to see my son's classmate get out of her chair and
go forward. I was happy for her. She had given a great speech, and she
deserved it. And I went back to rehearsing my "winning isn't everything"
speech.
"And the next winner, the one who will represent our town in the regionals
is . . ."
But he didn't go on right away. Instead, he began explaining when and where
the regional competition would be, even taking the time to give directions
and to invite the parents of the winning child to stop by for detailed
instructions at the back.
You could have cut the tension in the air with a knife as 13 students sat at
the edge of their chairs, breath baited. The message to the MC was clearly
written over each and every face: "Get on with it! Just tell us who won!"
I swallowed and continued going over my own speech in my mind. My poor son.
He had worked so hard . . .
"And the first place winner is . . . Number 5!"
The room exploded in applause and I looked up. Which one of the kids had
been number 5? I couldn't seem to remember, so I began to scan the room to
see who was standing up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement in my
son's chair. I glanced his way in time to see him start to stand. I reached
out my hand to pull him back. "We'll wait a few minutes before leaving!" I
whispered. "We want to congratulate the winner!"
But he wasn't sitting back down. In fact, he wasn't listening at all!
Instead, he was striding for the front of the room!
Only then did it dawn on me: My son WAS Number 5!
Somehow, this all reminds me of the end of time. The Bible tells us that the
end of time will come like a thief in the night. "for you know very well
that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." (1 Thess 5:2
NIV) I don't know about you, but I had never really given much thought to
what this meant until that night, as our family drove home from the Legion.
Then suddenly, it was all clear. You see, I had known ahead of time that one
of the possible outcomes of the evening would be that my son would win, but
in my mind I had created a different "best case scenario". I was so focussed
on MY possible outcome, that when the real thing happened, it took me a few
minutes to recognize it!
This is exactly what Paul is trying to tell us in 1 Thess. 5:2. We all know
the Lord will return, and most of us have read the Bible and gone to church
enough to have created our own "best-case scenarios". But it won't happen
exactly as we expect it to. In fact, we can become so focussed on our own
ideas, so busy watching for our own interpretation of prophecy, that when
the real thing happens, we'll be surprised! Jesus' return may truly be "like
a thief in the night". It will happen in a way that we least except it!
This isn't to say that having our own interpretation of prophecy is bad. On
the contrary, it is a good thing. However, let's not get so focussed on one
interpretation that we fail to consider any other possible outcomes. Let's
be open-minded in our approach to prophecy, so that when Jesus does return,
we won't be taken by surprise!
Please join us next Saturday for my son's winning
speech: The Most Effective Weapon in the World!
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for
The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a
website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems,
www.scripturalnuggets.org ,
with Answers2Prayer Ministries,
www.Answers2Prayer.org .
P. S. My son became so sick in the night after that speech, that he missed
the next three days of school, and now, six days after the speeches, he
still isn't feeling himself. The fact that he won his town contest is a real
attestation of God's miracle power.