If you know my mom, you know that she’s the type of person who knows almost everybody and she loves to chat and catch up with them when she can. But there was this one instance when talking with an old friend threw her for a loop. To be honest, it did me as well.
We had stopped at the store after church one Sunday to pick up something we needed to cook lunch at my grandparents’ house. While there, we ran into an old friend of the family. The first thing I noticed was her facial expression. She didn’t seem happy at all. Well, my mom greeted her with a smile and asked how she was doing. This lady placed her hands onto her hips and said: “You’re never going to believe what happened to me!”
My first thought was that maybe somebody took the last of something that she wanted to buy. You know, like the last package of double chocolate chip cookies. Now, that would really be upsetting. But my ever-polite mom asked: “What in the world was it?”
“Somebody had the nerve to sit in my place on the pew at church this morning,” she blurted out.
Mom and I looked at each other. I could tell she was trying to think of how to reply to her friend. After a few seconds, mom asked: “Was it a church member?” I knew exactly what mom meant by that. You see, our friend attended a somewhat small church. In fact, the church we used to belong to was similar in size to our friend’s. In that case, everyone in the congregation not only knew each other, but also where they normally sat in the sanctuary. To this day, I can tell you that my mom, Mamaw Jo, and I sat on the second pew back from the front and on the far right. Papaw sat with the other deacons and Mamaw Girdle/Myrtle sat in the choir. So, if someone sat out of place, everybody in the congregation knew about it and probably wondered why they did that.
“Nope. I’d never seen them before.” She took her hands off of her hips and folded her arms.
Then, it was my turn. “Well, then how would they know that they were sitting in your place?” I was hoping that I would make her stop and think about why somebody sat in her place. I was wrong.
“The others sitting around them should have told them to move since it was my place. But I got them back. I sat in in the pew behind them and glared at them during the whole service.”
I couldn’t resist finishing my thought. “So, do you know what the preacher’s sermon was on or what hymns were sung?” Instead of answering, she glared at me in that way that she probably stared at the people in her place.
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)
“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
We are all creatures of habit and when we are interrupted, it can really throw us off. But, if we are believers, we are called to rise above our human responses. We are called to love and forgive each other. We are called to be beacon to others so that Christ can shine through us and glorify Him. Hopefully, others will notice and believe in Him as well.
The “that’s my place” doesn’t just happen at church. Many years ago, I started a new position. On the first day, I was told to sit at any desk, so I did. Wouldn’t you know a lady came up to me and said, “That’s my desk.” I politely got up out of her seat. At least she didn’t sit somewhere else and glare at me.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is now available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.