Bloomington, Indiana
Our son struggled with the decision of whether to pursue a music career, or an engineering career. It was obvious he had a passion for music and organized music activities. In fact, he spent several summers participating in a drum and bugle corp.
If you don’t know what that is, imagine the half time marching band show on steroids. These corps travel around the United States competing against each other doing precision marching routines while playing instruments. There is a lot of competition for the slots in each corps and you can only participate through your 21st birthday. Our son participated in the Phantom Regiment Corp (2008 World Champion Phantom Regiment Corp to be specific - if you want to search YouTube).
Anyway, these competitions end with a world championship competition and like most serious sports finals, the differences in points that determine the winner is razor thin. If I remember correctly, the Phantom Regiment won by less than 0.1 points out of 100 that year. But I am getting ahead of myself. The championship competition was in Bloomington, Indiana that year.
My wife made hotel arrangements and we planned to leave work a little early and drive there the day before the competition started. Even with leaving early, we knew that we wouldn’t arrive at the hotel before midnight. My wife suggested, and I complied, by calling enroute to let them know we were on our way to ensure we had a room.
We got to the hotel and the night clerk apologized and told us they were out of rooms. Lightning had struck the hotel a day or two earlier and messed up their reservations and they oversold the rooms. After driving 12 hours, my wife was insistent on a room as we had reserved. Now, she is wonderful and supportive and I would trust my life to her, but if she gets pushed too far or one of the special people in her life gets attacked, watch out! (Fortunately, I am one of those special people in her life!)
Anyway, back to the overbooking issue. Needless to say, my wife’s voice was raised and the poor night clerk didn’t know what to do. She called and woke the motel manager who told the clerk to call the police.
She did.
The police arrived and after listening to both sides of the story (by this time my wife had calmed down some), asked the night clerk what she wanted them to do. All of a sudden no one had any ideas to discuss.
We eventually woke up her parents who were already in their room and slept on their floor until a room became available the next day.
“For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” - James 3:2-18 ESV
We tend to want to find a bad guy in every unfortunate situation. n our case, a lightning strike caused our reservation to be lost. No one did anything malicious to keep us from staying there. Our life (and the poor police officers that had to come and be the adults in the room), would have been easier if we had calmly problem solved in the first place.
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” – James 1:19-20
As much as we are a music family, my son ultimately chose an engineering career.
