When Your Help Is Either Helpful or Not

"Did you bring the chairs?" she calls out as she runs up the sideline to greet me.

"Oh, you're funny," I reply. "You guys were bringing the chairs."

We had taken two vehicles. The Drummer and two younger children had left much earlier. As the coach, he wanted to be on the field to greet arriving players and parents. I had followed twenty minutes later with the older children.

"We didn't bring them." She runs back to the Drummer who is entrenched in pregame greetings and organization.

Surrounded by preschoolers and kindergartners, he glances up as I approach. He interrupts his pregame huddle to speak to me. Wanting this to be a childish joke, I ask, "You didn't bring the chairs?"

"No. Remember you said you'd take care of it," he states simply.

Vaguely intertwined memories of a hectic morning emerge. The Drummer rushing about, gathering footballs and supplies. His asking me how many chairs I needed. My off handed comment that I'd get them...oops.

A few children and I make our way back to the van, drive home, and retrieve the forgotten chairs.

Arriving at the field again, the game is underway and side lines burst with parents and players. Now, there is no room for us. Our places are lost.

Down past midfield, we stumble upon them. Heaped on the ground reserving a space are the Drummer's pack and coach's sack. He had saved us a spot, but not any spot, a prime side line location with full view of the field and players.  The kind of spot only the first arrivals get.

We moved the chairs into place. I lower to the seat and his gaze catches mine. Our eyes meet, and he smiles wide. I smile all gratitude in return, so thankful for his kindness.
~ Dorie

This post is the ninth in a series of posts encountering the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self control.   Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23