I got punched in the face Sunday night. Are you jealous? . . . of the person who did it? Smile.
Yes, I’m smiling about it, and blogging about it. It WAS a total accident, but I learn about myself from these types of things.
Here’s what happened.
It was our youth Sunday night at church. We were having dinner and I was moving through the room to get another glass of punch. One of our teens (did I mention it was youth Sunday night?) was doing some sort of move or motion and didn’t see me coming. Boom. I ended up on the end of a mild punch which nailed me right in the center of my face, just above my nose. It pressed my glasses back into my face.
Of course I wasn’t happy.
No, I wasn’t happy. I was definitely caught off guard, and the contact jolted me in a “what just happened?” sort of way. Some mild physical pain, glasses being ajar on my face, and a little bit of anger made for an interesting split second decision.
My reaction.
I had options, didn’t I? I could have yelled and berated the teen. I could have grabbed him and rebuked him, or physically shoved him in response to communicate my displeasure. I fear that maybe 8 or 10 years ago I would have done something like that. As I calculated my response options, I chose a simple one: walk away.
I walked out of the room, wondering if I might be bleeding anywhere. That gave me a chance to cool down and realize the accident that had just happened. It also made me laugh a bit about the unlikely odds of being on the receiving end of a punch – at church! As I got calmed down and returned to the room (no, I wasn’t bleeding), I shook his hand and let him know I was fine.
Lessons Learned.
1. Church can be a violent place – be on your guard!
2. Beg God for self-control always. You may need it in a split second.
3. Teens are awesome.
4. Praise God for growth. I mentioned I may not have reacted well a while ago. I praise God for awareness and growth, making me desire more so He can be glorified in my life.
Think. Has anything like this happened to you? Would it be difficult for you to react well?
Act. What places in your life are you most vulnerable to respond poorly? Pray over your weakest areas and ask God to give you strength to be ready when tested.