First time for everything

As one 'commences to think' about their life they tend to reflect on first times. One may think about the first time they went to school, the first time they tried to water ski or the first (and last for many) time they tried sushi. As a parent, one might think of their first child or the first steps of each child, the first day sending them off to prison ---er school-- first time letting them behind a wheel or even the first time rescuing them from wild turkeys or drowning in an outhouse! :-)
I recently had a new first and hopefully LAST!

Last Saturday evening my pastor called. He is a very cheerful guy and it was nice to hear from him...... for a bit.... until I was totally confused. The conversation went something like this:

Pastor (P): Hi Deb, I have an update for you.

Deb (D): Hi, great, what's up?
P: I thought I'd let you know the meeting time is 6:30 and I can give you more specifics then.
Don't worry because Becky has everything under control.
D: (very confused) Great, um..
P: Oh, when did you change to voice mail? You do have voice mail now right?
D: Yup, had it for a long time.
P: Really, I was thinking you had an answering machine.
D: I do, Lianna is on it.
P:Oh, you mean you DON'T have voice mail? (sounding somewhat panicked)
D: I guess I'm not up on all the techno lingo. I think of voicemail and answering machines as
the same thing. We have an answering machine with Lianna on it.
silence
P: You mean it's not a electronic pre recorded message?
D: Nope
P: uh oh....
D: Uhoh what?
P: I left a message earlier for you about all the plans and meeting time, did you get it?
D: no, and I need to ask you what on earth you're talking about, I'm sorry but I have to
admit I have no idea what meeting time you mean!
P: Well, someone in the area is probably panicking that a Pastor called and is meeting them with
5 college guys for them to feed tonight and house!
D: What guys?
P: Didn't you sign up to house the 5 guys from Fairhaven Baptist College?
D: Yup but when is that?
P: Tonight
D: Tonight??!?!??!?!? I thought it was in July!
P: (after a short silence) Do I need to try to find someone else?
D: er no, I can do it.... I am very flexible and can make this work. (thinking: The beds are all
made up with clean sheets, the house is relatively clean, while I go pick them up the girls can
do a few things and I can always pick up any food I need on the way out to get them) Yup I
can do this.
P: Great , see you at 6:30, oh, by the way, did you have a good time last weekend?
D:(very confused, mentally trying to plan tonight) Um what was last weekend?


I really did know that it was the MO Beach weekend but with the panic in my brain I couldn't remember that wonderful, relaxing, peaceful weekend!
Then later I checked my email and found a note from pastor confirming our call and I wrote back letting him know I had received it. I wrote him a sentence that after sending I realized sounded really stupid. I started laughing about it (after, while I waited for the college guys to show up a couple hours late!) Why, after a conversation like that would I write, "I'm sorry about the confusion, I am not usually like that in fact, I can't ever remember forgetting something like that. "..Can't ever remember forgetting..."?

We finally did connect and were blessed with 3 guys ( one was flying into Boston from CA later and the other going to get him so they found a closer place for them to stay) who we had wonderful fellowship with. We all chatted, the girls were asked to play violin and piano and we heard about the college. I hadn't heard of this college before but after housing the guys, meeting the girls and listening to the service the next morning I am very impressed and will be looking into the school.

When we left church Sunday after a spaghetti dinner one of the girls said, "I wish they were staying another night. That was really a blessing". To which Dad replied, "It always is a blessing to have people come through and stay with us."

Many 'firsts' in this event.....................

(note to my wonderful son: No, the questions posed in this blog aren't meant to be answered by you if they regard me!!!! LYB)