That Simple, That Difficult
Illustration
Stories
Kay checked her phone and then put it on the desk in front of her. She frowned and turned her attention to the textbook in front of her. A few moments later she checked her phone again.
Jay looked up from the other side of the desk. “What’s up?”
“Why would you think something is up?” Kay said.
“Honestly?” Jay shook his head. “You frown every time you check your phone and haven’t turned the page since we started studying. We really need to understand this material before the lab tomorrow.”
“I know, I know.” Kay leaned back in her chair. “I guess I’ve been distracted.”
“You could say that.”
Kay checked her phone. “I’m waiting to hear from Denise.”
“Denise?” Jay asked. “I thought you two weren’t getting along so I’m surprised you’re talking.”
“We’re not. We got into it after choir practice and Charlene said that we needed to talk and sort it out before service in the chapel.”
“Sounds like someone remembers what Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel about reconciling.”
“Yes, she sent us a message quoting the passage and told us to talk to each other. If we can’t sort things out then she said to meet with her.” Kay looked at her phone again. “I was expecting Denise to be in touch with me. I guess that was too much to expect.”
Jay tilted his head to one side. “So you reached out to her?”
“I was kind of expecting her to message me.” Kay looked at her textbook. “I mean all of this is her fault.”
“Her fault?” Jay paused. “You had a fight and you’re waiting for her to message you.”
“She needs to apologize,” Kay said. “After all, she’s the one with the problem, not me.”
“Really?” Jay asked.“I’ll be honest but that’s not what I’m hearing.”
Kay folded her arms. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re assuming that she is the only one in the wrong.”
“Well, she is the one in the wrong. She just flew off the handle at me for no reason. And-”
Jay held up a hand, “And the week before when you snapped at her? Or the grumbling we all heard when Pastor Rick asked her to sing that solo part in the anthem? Or the time you ignored her when she asked about getting a drive to the workshop even though you were driving right past her place? Do you need me to go on?”
“Okay.” Kay slouched back in her chair. “Maybe we do have some history.”
“You two have been like a pot boiling all term. I’m just surprised that Charlene has been as patient with you as she has been.”
“What do you mean?”
“You honestly don’t know?” Jay said. “You’re sniping at each other has been disruptive since she showed up.”
“See, I told you it was her! When she wasn’t there last term things were fine.”
Jay tilted his head. “Do you honestly hear yourself?”
Kay opened her mouth and then closed it. “I guess I haven’t made things easy for her as a new person in the choir.”
“Then maybe you should tell her that. Talk to her and see if you can work it out. If you can’t then go to Charlene and ask her to help.”
Kay checked her phone and put it back on the desk. “I just wish that she would message first.”
“You know I bet she is checking her phone thinking the exact same thing.” Jay paused. “We need to study so you need to message her now so we can get back to it.”
“I just never expected something as simple as talking to another person could be so difficult to do.”
“Jesus never said it is easy to reconcile just that he will be with us as we try,” Jay said.
“Fine.” Kay tapped out a quick message. “I doubt she will message me back anytime soon.”
“Cross that bridge when you come to it.”
Kay’s phone dinged and she looked at the screen. “Denise says she wants to meet and agrees we should talk.”
“She give you a time?”
“An hour from now outside the cafeteria.” Kay stared at her phone. “She thanked me for messaging her.”
“Huh. You know what? I think you can make this work.”
“Maybe we can.” Kay put the phone back down on the desk. “You know what we should do now though, don’t you?”
“Get back to studying?”
Kay nodded and turned her attention back to her textbook. As she did she offered a silent prayer for patience and wisdom when she met with Denise. She also offered a prayer of thanks for Jay and Charlene and the other people who supported her and pushed her to do the right thing in her life.
*****************************************
StoryShare, September 10, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Jay looked up from the other side of the desk. “What’s up?”
“Why would you think something is up?” Kay said.
“Honestly?” Jay shook his head. “You frown every time you check your phone and haven’t turned the page since we started studying. We really need to understand this material before the lab tomorrow.”
“I know, I know.” Kay leaned back in her chair. “I guess I’ve been distracted.”
“You could say that.”
Kay checked her phone. “I’m waiting to hear from Denise.”
“Denise?” Jay asked. “I thought you two weren’t getting along so I’m surprised you’re talking.”
“We’re not. We got into it after choir practice and Charlene said that we needed to talk and sort it out before service in the chapel.”
“Sounds like someone remembers what Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel about reconciling.”
“Yes, she sent us a message quoting the passage and told us to talk to each other. If we can’t sort things out then she said to meet with her.” Kay looked at her phone again. “I was expecting Denise to be in touch with me. I guess that was too much to expect.”
Jay tilted his head to one side. “So you reached out to her?”
“I was kind of expecting her to message me.” Kay looked at her textbook. “I mean all of this is her fault.”
“Her fault?” Jay paused. “You had a fight and you’re waiting for her to message you.”
“She needs to apologize,” Kay said. “After all, she’s the one with the problem, not me.”
“Really?” Jay asked.“I’ll be honest but that’s not what I’m hearing.”
Kay folded her arms. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re assuming that she is the only one in the wrong.”
“Well, she is the one in the wrong. She just flew off the handle at me for no reason. And-”
Jay held up a hand, “And the week before when you snapped at her? Or the grumbling we all heard when Pastor Rick asked her to sing that solo part in the anthem? Or the time you ignored her when she asked about getting a drive to the workshop even though you were driving right past her place? Do you need me to go on?”
“Okay.” Kay slouched back in her chair. “Maybe we do have some history.”
“You two have been like a pot boiling all term. I’m just surprised that Charlene has been as patient with you as she has been.”
“What do you mean?”
“You honestly don’t know?” Jay said. “You’re sniping at each other has been disruptive since she showed up.”
“See, I told you it was her! When she wasn’t there last term things were fine.”
Jay tilted his head. “Do you honestly hear yourself?”
Kay opened her mouth and then closed it. “I guess I haven’t made things easy for her as a new person in the choir.”
“Then maybe you should tell her that. Talk to her and see if you can work it out. If you can’t then go to Charlene and ask her to help.”
Kay checked her phone and put it back on the desk. “I just wish that she would message first.”
“You know I bet she is checking her phone thinking the exact same thing.” Jay paused. “We need to study so you need to message her now so we can get back to it.”
“I just never expected something as simple as talking to another person could be so difficult to do.”
“Jesus never said it is easy to reconcile just that he will be with us as we try,” Jay said.
“Fine.” Kay tapped out a quick message. “I doubt she will message me back anytime soon.”
“Cross that bridge when you come to it.”
Kay’s phone dinged and she looked at the screen. “Denise says she wants to meet and agrees we should talk.”
“She give you a time?”
“An hour from now outside the cafeteria.” Kay stared at her phone. “She thanked me for messaging her.”
“Huh. You know what? I think you can make this work.”
“Maybe we can.” Kay put the phone back down on the desk. “You know what we should do now though, don’t you?”
“Get back to studying?”
Kay nodded and turned her attention back to her textbook. As she did she offered a silent prayer for patience and wisdom when she met with Denise. She also offered a prayer of thanks for Jay and Charlene and the other people who supported her and pushed her to do the right thing in her life.
*****************************************
StoryShare, September 10, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
