So my family was officially done with this summer holidays and ready to head back home. Everything was set- COVID tests booked and taken, bags pretty much packed and ready for the airport; at this point, we are mentally focused and ready to kick off, in a few days, the 2021/2022 school year and final and 4th quarter in 2021.
Our COVID results were and are still in limbo, and we had to rebook new COVID tests and make new reservations.. There were no available seats that could take all of us and we simply had to book the first available airline seat we could find. This meant that the family had to split up. ‘Sweets’ (not pictured) booked the two teenagers to fly out first, myself and my pre-teen second, and he on a much later flight. At the end of the day, the teens missed their flights due to the very tight schedule that they had to cope with, and the various arrival times at our destination were not what we expected. The results: ‘Sweets,’ who was the on the much later flight ended up being the first to arrive at our destination. He who was last became first to arrive home.
How many times have you seen ‘the race is not to the swift’ scenario play out. Recall the story about the hare and the tortoise. The hare was so confident that it would win the race due to its stature but it got distracted and, alas, the tortoise won the race.
Just because you are late in the race doesn’t mean you won’t be first to finish and just because you are first to get into the game doesn’t guarantee you winning the game. Being fast doesn’t guarantee ‘winning’ and being slow doesn’t guarantee ‘losing.’ Either position isn’t necessarily bad. Results in life are all part of the beautiful plan that God has for you and me. So friend, chin up, don’t be discouraged, if you feel unaccomplished. The race is indeed not always to the Swift.