Instead, I Got Grace
I knew better.
I took chemistry and physics in high school. I know that placing combustible materials near a heat source is, well, playing with fire.
But I was in a hurry.
I was tired and not thinking.
It was a warm day; the heater wasn’t even on.
Excuse. Excuse. Excuse.
The simple facts of the case are these:
1) I stacked 30 MacBook boxes right up against my corner heater.
2) I left the heater set to 65 degrees.
3) I left all the windows open.
4) A cold front blew in overnight.
Daniel called me from school the next morning, “Get down here. You’ve just had a miracle in your classroom.”
I arrived to the pervasive stench of burnt marshmallows in Room #4…and a stack of charred MacBook boxes.
As I shared with my students throughout the day, I’ve been blessed with many warnings in my life. For years, I kept a “warning” speeding ticket stuck on my refrigerator, a reminder that a real ticket would have been fair.
Instead, I got grace.
As blackened pieces of MacBook boxes crumbled in my fingers, I pointed out that I’d been stupid. I’d stacked the boxes right against the heater, left it on, left the windows open; the natural consequences — a fire — would have been fair.
Instead I got grace.
It’s so easy to stomp through my day, noticing only the things that feel unfair. Vehicle registration that’s $200 more than I budgeted. Changes in the work calendar when I’ve already made plans. Friends doing fun stuff while I stay home and grade.
How often do I recognize when things “aren’t fair” — in my favor?
A couple of years ago, a guy on a moped pulled right out in front of me. I could have killed him, and Annemarie–who frequently “forgot” to wear her seatbelt — could have gone through the windshield.
Instead, the guy got a scratch and Annemarie’s seat belt was on.
We got grace.
A touchy subject came up in class, and two difficult students went straight for each others’ jugulars. I could have been handing out conduct slips and mopping up the mess for weeks.
Instead, the right tone and words came.
We all got grace.
I almost burned down the entire newly-repainted Administration Building three weeks before our 60th Alumni Weekend.
Instead, I got grace.
How about you?
When’s the last time you realized, “Instead of _________, I got grace”?
“Instead I Got Grace”
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