When my oldest daughter was in elementary school, the cafeteria had a traffic light in the lunchroom that would flash and sound when the kids got too loud. I found it very disturbing when I would eat lunch with my daughter. Other parents complained too and we wrote a letter about it.
20 years later, my daughter, now grown with children of her own that attend the same school, saw the traffic light at a school auction last year and commented to the principal that she missed the traffic light. The principal, Gay Pruett, told my daughter some of the parents had a problem with it and a letter was written about it so it was removed. When my daughter told me about the conversation, my heart sank. I guess I never asked my daughter if the lights and sounds were disturbing to her. Now looking back at how hard it was to try to keep all those kids quiet and eating instead of talking during their lunch I understand its value.
I felt that I owed an apology to the school. I fought the urge to say anything for over a year. After all, that was what... 20 years ago? But, the thought would just never leave me.
Finally, I decided I had to do something. I called the school and found out the principal had just retired. I started searching the internet and found her on Facebook and sent a friend's request. Then I found her phone number. On Sunday afternoon, I called and got an answering machine with a man's voice. I left a message of who I was and that I wanted to speak to Mrs. Pruett, the former principal about a personal matter, and if this was the correct number would she please return my call. I really did not expect her to call thinking that if she remembered me she probably would not want to talk to me.
Within an few hours, my phone rang and it was her. My heart raced when I saw her name on the caller ID. I thanked her for returning my call and told her that I owed her a long overdue apology and related in detail the incident. I told her I was sorry for being so immature and opinionated without considering the school's position. She listened and then to my surprise said she only remembered it being a bone of contention with a lot of the parents but never thought anything more about it. I confessed that I have been looking back and seeing a lot of things I wished I would have done differently. She laughed with me and admitted that she too has things that she wished she had not done or could have done better.
As we talked, I complimented her on her accomplishments at the school and related to her that I remembered seeing her clean the kitchen tables off and thought how great of a statement that made of how much she cared about the students and the school for them to see her helping in that way. I wished I had written a letter about that instead. She confessed that when school stopped being fun with all the new rules and regulations she knew it was time to retire.
She then opened up to me about how that 6 months after she retired her husband was diagnosed with cancer in three areas in his body. She shared how they had hoped to spend quality time together and now it is spent going to cancer treatments. She did not sound discouraged and believed God was working in their life and was trusting Him. I offered words of encouragement and told her I would be praying for them. We said our good-byes and hung up the phone. I just sat there for a while soaking in what God had just done.
A little while later I received a notification from Facebook on my phone. She had accepted my friend's request and sent me a private message.
Her message said:
"I just had to thank you for your call today. God is so good! Your call came at a time when I have been questioning life. He is so totally in control. Hope you have a wonderful week."
I think of the times I fought making that phone call because of the embarrassment and shame I thought it would cause to me. I never thought of what it would do for her. And I certainly never thought that God was trying to use the situation for a time when she herself needed some answers. Like my new friend said, "God is so good!".
Since that time, we have developed a close friendship. She came to a ladies conference with me. I went to visit her when her husband was dying with cancer. God can take something that the devil has used to torment us for years and in one moment's time, turn it for something good. That is just how our God works. All things work together for the good, of them who love him and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
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