Experience is the best teacher. Or so they say. It seems like most of my mishap adventures occur on my college campus. I am starting to see a pattern. My latest escapade began yesterday, but I didn't realize my trouble until this afternoon at precisely 1:00pm. I was working on my Finite Math homework, and reached inside my wallet to pull out my student ID in order to check my number. But it wasn't there. Panic began to set in. I frantically emptied the entire contents of my purse, but to no avail. The ID card was gone.
I replayed the events of yesterday in my mind. I recalled slipping the card into the back pocket of my jeans, instead of my wallet, because I had just purchased my lunch. Weighted down as I was, what with my backpack [which weighs as much as a baby elephant] and purse securely strapped to my shoulders and my hands gripping my hot bag of Chick-Fil-A nuggets and fries, I found the pocket a more convenient place to store the card. That was my big mistake.
My class began at 1:30. And my heart was racing as I tried to figure out where the card could possibly be. I called home and had my sister check my jeans, which I had put through the washer that morning before I left. She not only searched the jeans, but the entire load of laundry. And she reported that the card was not to be found.
As I sat through my math class, my mind was occupied. Though I couldn't see my face, I knew it was clouded. I took notes, but I felt like a machine. Throughout the entire lecture, I was 'looking' for my ID card. Over and over, where could it be? To say I was distracted would be stating the obvious.
I shot out of class and headed straight for my car. I checked the seats, the floor, any conceivable spot the card could have dislodged itself. I decided to head home, as I had a large gap between my next class, and search for the ID tag myself. This was disheartening, because I had planned on working on getting some extra credit by attending Math and Speaker labs - but in order to get credit, I needed to swipe my ID card. Yeah, the one that I was missing...
About the time I reached the halfway point between campus and my home, it dawned on me that someone may have found my ID card and turned it in to the Card Services Department. If that were the case, they probably would have sent me an e-mail to notify me of the fact. And that it would have been wise to have checked my school mail inbox before dashing off for home. With that encouraging thought, I began to calm down.
By the time I reached the house, I was in a more rational state of mind. I grabbed my laptop and accessed my school account. To my great relief, the first message that I laid eyes on was from the Card Services, and it informed me that my ID card had been found and was awaiting pick up in their office.
My heart rate began to slow down. The burden that I had been carrying was lifted. All the scenarios that I had been envisioning - the horrible process of getting a new ID, the fees, the set-backs - all of my worries, fell away.
What is the take-away? Never, and I repeat, NEVER, will I so carelessly place my ID in the back pocket of my jeans ever again. It isn't worth the anxiety. One interesting thing about me: I rarely repeat my mistakes. I tend to learn from them. I pray that this experience is no exception.
At the end of the day, I have to ask myself, what do I ever gain by worrying? I am reminded of Christ's words: 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:25-27 KJV
Worry less, live more.
I replayed the events of yesterday in my mind. I recalled slipping the card into the back pocket of my jeans, instead of my wallet, because I had just purchased my lunch. Weighted down as I was, what with my backpack [which weighs as much as a baby elephant] and purse securely strapped to my shoulders and my hands gripping my hot bag of Chick-Fil-A nuggets and fries, I found the pocket a more convenient place to store the card. That was my big mistake.
My class began at 1:30. And my heart was racing as I tried to figure out where the card could possibly be. I called home and had my sister check my jeans, which I had put through the washer that morning before I left. She not only searched the jeans, but the entire load of laundry. And she reported that the card was not to be found.
As I sat through my math class, my mind was occupied. Though I couldn't see my face, I knew it was clouded. I took notes, but I felt like a machine. Throughout the entire lecture, I was 'looking' for my ID card. Over and over, where could it be? To say I was distracted would be stating the obvious.
I shot out of class and headed straight for my car. I checked the seats, the floor, any conceivable spot the card could have dislodged itself. I decided to head home, as I had a large gap between my next class, and search for the ID tag myself. This was disheartening, because I had planned on working on getting some extra credit by attending Math and Speaker labs - but in order to get credit, I needed to swipe my ID card. Yeah, the one that I was missing...
About the time I reached the halfway point between campus and my home, it dawned on me that someone may have found my ID card and turned it in to the Card Services Department. If that were the case, they probably would have sent me an e-mail to notify me of the fact. And that it would have been wise to have checked my school mail inbox before dashing off for home. With that encouraging thought, I began to calm down.
By the time I reached the house, I was in a more rational state of mind. I grabbed my laptop and accessed my school account. To my great relief, the first message that I laid eyes on was from the Card Services, and it informed me that my ID card had been found and was awaiting pick up in their office.
My heart rate began to slow down. The burden that I had been carrying was lifted. All the scenarios that I had been envisioning - the horrible process of getting a new ID, the fees, the set-backs - all of my worries, fell away.
What is the take-away? Never, and I repeat, NEVER, will I so carelessly place my ID in the back pocket of my jeans ever again. It isn't worth the anxiety. One interesting thing about me: I rarely repeat my mistakes. I tend to learn from them. I pray that this experience is no exception.
At the end of the day, I have to ask myself, what do I ever gain by worrying? I am reminded of Christ's words: 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:25-27 KJV
Worry less, live more.
Wow! I've done this so many times! Hopefully you learned something important!
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