With my husband being the mayor of Crosby, ND, we received complimentary tickets to attend the banquet, as well as special V.I.P. passes to be a part of the "Meet and Greet" time planned at a beautiful home near the venue.
It was all rather mysterious as we parked just down the street from the entrance to the backyard of the home. People were gathered outside, with some very official men in suits and dark sunglasses guarding the gate.
As we approached, we noticed among the crowd our son-in-law and oldest grandson. They were there because our grandson had earned the right to have his picture taken with Sarah through an art contest at school. The teacher selected two students from each grade to receive this honor, plus their art project would be on display at the banquet.
We weren't sure where we were to go, but showed our passes to the gentlemen by the gate, who we then realized were actually a couple of parents from the school. They ushered us to a backyard which featured a large pool, an outdoor kitchen area, and beautiful landscaping. Fancy dispensers held lemonade and ice tea, and several young women were carrying trays of hors d'oeuvres to tempt us.
As we mingled with the other guests, we noticed the line of school children being led into a white tent, which had been set up on one side of the yard. I caught my grandson's eye and gave him a little wave, which he returned. Part of me was so proud, and the other part wondered what thoughts might be going through his very "in the box" brain during this strange new adventure.
Shortly thereafter, the announcement was made. We were to form a line and begin proceeding into the tent. As we were entering, the students were leaving, but their was no chance to visit and find out what excitement awaited us inside.
Slowly we made our way to the front of the line, at which point we were taken behind a black curtain where Sarah and a team of photographers waited. We were told to stand on either side of her. She greeted us with a smile, shook our hands and asked our names. Then, as quickly as we entered, we left and it was the next person's turn.
For days I had agonized about what to wear and what might be said should we be given the chance to actually talk to this "famous person". Somehow, it was a bit of a letdown when I realized I was just one more face in a sea of thousands she had to face everyday in her busy political world.
What was it like for her? Did she ever wish she could break with "protocol" and pull someone aside for a cozy chat? Was it hard for her to keep up her smile and try to greet each person genuinely as they paraded by?
Later, as we listened to her keynote address at the banquet, I found myself wondering if the speech was really coming from her heart or from a speechwriter somewhere in the political world telling her what she needed to say. With a midterm election just around the corner, it seemed there was far more attention given to politics than the school we were supporting. In the end, however, she did get around to praising the school and its mission of training up young people to be positive leaders in our broken world.
Following her speech, a local businessman got up and said a few words before an offering was taken. He was a familiar face, as he is married to my husband's cousin. We were so proud of his genuine words, spoken straight from the heart, encouraging support of this wonderful school. His son and daughter are both alumni of Trinity Christian, and he mentioned his new little grandson who would someday follow in his father's footsteps. In addition, there would be another grandson, soon to be adopted from China, who would also one day be a student. Somehow, even with all the talk of ISIS and ebola virus, he felt better knowing the foundation of their education would be a godly one, based on Biblical values.
Thinking back on all the people we saw tonight, I was reminded in God's eyes we are the same. He doesn't see one person as "famous" and another as "just a member of the crowd". We are all His children, deeply loved and cared for enough that He gave His only Son to die for us. The "whosoever" offered in John 3:16 has no restrictions and plays no favorites. Praying tonight you find yourself among those of us who believe!
"For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only Begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life."
~John 3:16
No comments:
Post a Comment