Operation Rescue Tablet

More than halfway home on Tuesday, I realized I had left my tablet back at our meeting place – about three to three and a half hours from home. Even if we were still in the city, the offices were now closed and I had to work the next day back in Blythe. A bit frantic, I immediately texted my boss and inquired whether anyone had mentioned the device. I also emailed her along with two others who had been there that day to see if anyone had found it, especially since I was aware of another meeting that was to take place after we left. My hubby, Joe, offered to go back out to the city – another seven hour road trip – and pick it up the next day. As I was walking in my front door that evening I received a text from my boss – who had also just walked into her front door, saying that she has it and that she’ll take it to her other office the next day (Wednesday), which is only about an hour and a half away. Being a shortened bell schedule, I asked if I could skip our faculty meeting in order to accompany my hubby to go and retrieve my tablet. I was ecstatic. Not only was my tablet safe, but I’d have it in my hands within 24 hours.

Upon arriving at my boss’ office, however, there was a little mix up in the device description, and the wrong item was awaiting my retrieval. A few phone calls lead us to believe the tablet may still find its way to our current location with another person making the trek out, but come to find out THAT person had locked it up in her drawer another hour and a half back into the city, and she’d already left. In fact, I saw her pulling into the parking lot as Joe and I were leaving. I heard Maxwell Smart from the Get Smart TV show saying, “Missed it… by… THAT much.” I managed to reach one of the other ladies from the meeting who was kind enough to offer to send it with a family member, who just happens to live in Blythe, and just happened to be going to the city the next day. Wow! Wasn’t that an amazing happenstance? While I may not have the tablet that day as I’d hoped, it would definitely be back in my hands the next. (Thursday)

So I thought.

There was a little hiccup in those plans and that transfer didn’t occur either. After a few messages, I arranged another attempt to recover the tablet the next Wednesday in the same location as this past Wednesday – an hour and a half away.

Those of you who know me, know how the geek in me is just screaming by now… how could I be so foolish to leave such an important, valuable item, and how am I going to function without this critical, daily tool?! Not that I couldn’t figure it out, and did. But there are certain “things” in my life that have a “home” and when they are not in my hands, they are where I can find them – certain bags or briefcases, keys, and electronic devices. Recently, though, there have been a lot of peculiar forgetfulness on my part. As Joe pulled into the school parking lot to drop me off at work this last week, I realized I’d left my work keys in my car and had to go back home to get them. That same day he brought me lunch, and when I returned to work I realized I could not find my phone. After speaking with Joe, I’d left it – thankfully – on the floorboard of the truck.

What was going on...?!

As the thought of waiting six more days for the return of my tablet whirled around in the forefront of my mind, I became near desperate… okay, I was desperate. So I blasted on Facebook: “Hey friends… Anyone traveling to the Riverside area OR coming to Blythe from Riverside between now and next Tuesday?” To which a handful of people responded. One of whom has a brother who resides in the very city my tablet was currently displaced. She was going to Disneyland (Friday), and offered for her brother to pick up my tablet. She would then pick it up from her brother and bring it home to Blythe today (Saturday). With a few more communications, a photo and name of her brother sent to my boss, Plan “C” was in place.

When I first moved to Blythe, my sister told me the pace of life made it a perfect match for me. After 27 years, however, it seems the city pace has made its way here too. There seems to be this underlying rush of the world that, when caught up into it, creates confusion and destabilization. We make careless mistakes. We’re exhausted. And I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m worthless to ANYONE under these circumstances.

On Friday I received a text that the “package” has been obtained, and a photo of my friend’s brother holding my tablet. Today I received, “One step closer to Blythe” and a photo of the two siblings holding the device between them. And while the device may not yet be in my hands, I am no longer anxious. My friend, Sharon, who arranged the successful return of my tablet is the epitome of calm and peace. She never rushes, never seems frazzled, and never overreacts. She is always so generous and helpful. A mutual friend describes her as gentle, kind, caring, loving, and loyal. Her family is beautiful, caring, loving, and supportive.

Isn’t that just the way God works though? We make Plan A’s, Plan B’s, maybe even Plan C’s… but it’s HIS plan that works out for the best. It took this particular, seemingly tragic event for me to see myself in my current state, and remind me through the character of my friend to slow down (once again) and rest in Him. A CSN pastor recently said, “Get strife out of life. Delight, commit, trust, and rest in Him.” (9/29/2017) Plus, this entire adventure has been amazingly humorous! I mean c’mon… what are the odds? And in the whole scheme of things, in a hundred years, is the loss of one “thing” really going to matter?

While this story doesn’t lend itself to that of the Tortoise and the Hare, it definitely coincides with Aesop’s quote, “Slow and steady wins the race.” Paul speaks of the discipline and self-control required to run the race towards the prize (1 Corinthians 24-27). That’s one crown I want to strive for and obtain.