A NO WIN SITUATION
REPOST from August 2011
At the age I am now, right or wrong, I generally figure I’ve pretty much seen it all. Things rarely happen in my life that take me by surprise. When the unexpected happens, I react without too much emotion. I’ve usually been there, done that, bought the hat…
Occasionally though, I get thrown the metaphorical curveball or changeup. Even then, with years of practical experience dealing with surprises, I’m rarely left struggling with what the right course of action to take might be.
That was not the rare case this particular Sunday. It was a no win situation. While out of town we found a friendly little church a few years back while on vacation. We try to make it a point to attend if we have time between travels even now.
We were sitting about four rows back on the south side of the church closest to the front door, which is typically my style. There were only a couple of rows behind us. Several minutes after the service started a very elderly man shuffled into the church, having a more legitimate use for a cane than anybody I’ve witnessed.
As the latecomer eyed the seat directly in front of me, he hobbled, lost a bit of balance and bumped into me, helping to keep him upright. The elderly gentleman settled into the seat directly in front of me.
I knew that my new neighbor wasn’t going to be doing any standing for praying or singing… The old guy knew everyone. When the worship leader invited everyone to greet one another, I think every single person in the church came by to greet him.
Though frail, I can’t remember a person singing with as much enthusiasm as the old timer. I’m not sure if the old guy knew he couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket or not. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have mattered to him one way or the other. Just one of the gifts of being very elderly, I’ve heard.
The old fella had long, past his shoulders scraggly hair extending from the sides of his head with a worn, sun-spotted, round, bald spot on top. When I shook his hand during the greeting portion of the service I found he lacked no grip strength.
During the middle of the service, while glancing either down or up, to or from my Bible, something caught my eye on the old guy’s faded black windbreaker. I first thought it was a fly. It quickly crawled from under his collar, just above his left shoulder, and as I saw it- then did a double take, it moved quickly around the top of the old guy’s back and over his right shoulder, where it disappeared from my view.
After it was out of sight I realized what it was… It was black, about a size and a half bigger than a horse-fly with short, quick, legs. It was hard to spot immediately due to its color and my mind not expecting it… It was a black spider…
There I was, at a loss for what to do or how to react. It was a foreign feeling to me now. I knew the spider wasn’t a black widow, but I wasn’t completely positive it wasn’t poisonous.
In a church where no one knows me, I’m not sure how they would have reacted if I’d gotten up and announced something like, “OK – TIME OUT – I’ve spotted a black spider on the old guy in front of me! – I think you’ll find the culprit hiding under his collar!”
Their first thought would possibly have been that I was some kind of demon-possessed weirdo. What if they searched and the spider had got away? They certainly would have asked me to leave with my family…
I thought about using my bulletin as a spider swatter, but what if I slapped a little too hard and broke a bone on the old guy? No – That wouldn’t do. Even if I slapped at him to shoo the spider away it may have startled the old guy and caused him to have a heart attack!
This was a no-win proposition. What did I do? … I didn’t do anything except keep an eye out for the church going spider…
Then I prayed for the old man’s protection…
It’s all I could think of. Maybe that’s the problem with many of us…
We wait until there’s nothing else to do, but pray…
Dikkon
Sunday, October 8, 2017 @ 5:55 pm
Well, of course, praying is not a bad thing….
However, waiting to do it until there’s nothing left to do is common, it seems to me. We rely on our own resources first. And that’s not a bad thing either.
Maybe the best thing would be to use our own resources, and, at the same time, pray. I’d like to perfect that way of being. But I’ve got a long way to go.
You describe your no-win situation well. I viscerally shudder imagining that it were me. What would I do? I’m with you, Floyd, on the no-win description!
Hazel Irene Moon
Sunday, October 8, 2017 @ 6:16 pm
That is certainly a dilemma especially where you are not known. Yes, times like these all you can do is pray.
If I had been there, I would have swatted the spider and pray later. LOL
Lisa notes
Sunday, October 8, 2017 @ 6:46 pm
I don’t like the spider; I do like praying. 🙂 I love that we don’t always have to choose between doing and praying; sometimes we can do both. Be the prayer. But in the case of the spider? I’d be praying too. Thanks, Floyd!
Martha Orlando
Monday, October 9, 2017 @ 5:10 am
That is a problem for so many of us – waiting until we can do nothing but pray instead of praying first and foremost. Great story and reflection, Floyd!
Cheryl
Monday, October 9, 2017 @ 4:02 pm
Oh, my word…I know there is nothing that should have amused me about an old, unsuspecting man having a spider crawl over him, but It just made me laugh so hard to think of the predicament and how you described it! Poor soul, I hope he was okay and didn’t suffer anything from the spider…I honestly don’t know what on earth I would have done, either! What a plight to find yourself in…I think you absolutely chose the best possible path…prayer. I don’t know where we would be without the ability to pray! Thank you for sharing and for making someone with a very strange sense of humor laugh today!! LOL!
Jason Stasyszen
Tuesday, October 10, 2017 @ 7:13 am
Poor guy! Well, I guess maybe you had it worse because he may not have ever known there was a spider crawling on him. It feels like an example from ethics class. You know something like… Is lying wrong? Yes. But what if you’re family is sleeping in the other part of the house and a man with a gun bursts in and wants to know if anyone else is there? Un-winnable. Prayer is always the best option–first, last, always. Thank you, Floyd! Appreciate the humor and the message. 🙂
saleslady371
Tuesday, October 10, 2017 @ 10:53 am
My goodness, what a story. I hope I am never too rattled to just calm down and pray in a situation like this. Good thinking on your part. I’m trying to think what else can be done…maybe get the usher to call him back and help him? That’s if they even have ushers that stand in the back anymore. Thank you for prayers for me. A wonderful gift they are!