It was a Wednesday, which happened to be library day for Mrs. Cavanagh’s third-grade class. Library day was my favorite day of the week. I loved to read books, especially ones that came in series. That particular day, I checked out the third installment of one of the American Girl collections from the library (I can’t remember which). The book was so popular in my school, among the third-grade girls in particular, that I had been on a waiting list for what seemed like an eternity to check out the book.
The anticipation was too much for my eight-year-old mind to handle. As soon as I got on the school bus, I pulled the coveted book out of my backpack and began to devour its contents, oblivious to my surroundings. When I finally came to, I looked out the window to realize that I didn’t recognize anything. I missed my bus stop! So, I jumped up and yelled, “STOP!” at the top of my lungs. The bus screeched to a halt. I ran to the front of the bus demanding to be let off. The bus driver, slightly taken aback, acquiesced.
As soon as I got off, the entire bus burst into laughter. The shock of my dramatics had them in stitches, but I was embarrassed and mortified! It was a long time before I could get on a school bus without cringing.
Laughing at the Past
I recently told this story to a group of friends while we were having lunch together. It took a while for me to get it out because I was laughing so hard.
There are moments in our lives when we think we’ll never get over an embarrassment, a heartbreak, or horrible news. Those moments can leave us shocked, embarrassed, and sad. But I also know that God has given us the gift of time. So my prayer for you is that one day, you can look back at whatever is currently causing you pain and laugh.
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11, NLT).
If you liked this, you might also enjoy I Love Books | The Best Way to Deal With Embarrassment
Jael Amador writes from New York.
© 2002 - 2024, AnswersForMe.org. All rights reserved. Click here for content usage information.
