“There is a time for crying and laughing, finding and
losing." ~ Ecclesiastes 3: 4,6
Never in a million years would
anyone have expected a boy like Trey Masters to take notice of a girl like Emma
Jacobs. But he did. And soon, in storybook fashion, the football
star and the flutist were dating.
The pair made an adorable couple with their matching dark hair, sapphire eyes, and warm smiles. From their
first kiss after the Homecoming dance to hearing those three little words they
traded at Senior Prom, everything seemed perfect.
Emma cheered for #12 all season. After each game, he’d slip his blue and gold
letter sweater over her shoulders and kiss the tip of Emma’s nose. "It looks better on you," he'd say
and smile, even though it was ginormous on her.
Emma loved Trey . . . although she wasn’t sure he ever knew
how much. He planned to play college
football and spent most of his summer after graduation lifting weights and
practicing. Maybe Emma should have seen
then that he was slipping away.
They spent the night before he left at the lake, wishing on
stars and just holding each other. Trey
promised to call every day and swore that being 150 miles apart wouldn't change
anything. Emma was already missing him
and crying by the time they pulled into her apartment complex.
When they came to a stop, Trey reached into the backseat and
pulled out his letter sweater. "Please
keep this until I get back." He
placed it around her shoulders and kissed her gently. "I love you," he said. And then he was gone.
That first week he called every day; the second week, every
other day. By October, he stopped
calling at all.
Nearly two months later, Emma sat in the emptiness of her apartment
hugging Trey’s sweater close to her chest.
Despite rumors that he’d found someone else, she never lost hope; he
loved her! She simply couldn’t be that
forgettable.
Her loneliness was interrupted by a sharp knock at the
door. She flung it open, bracing herself
against the cold December night. Perhaps
it was the frigid air that took her breath away, or maybe the disappointment
that the man outside wasn’t Trey, but her Dad.
He held her in silence for several minutes until she stopped
crying. “I can’t believe I just wasted
four years of my life with him,” Emma said.
“It wasn’t a waste,” her Dad replied. “In life you’ll
eventually realize that there’s a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you. Some will use you. Some will even teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the
best in you. And this last group of
people, although hard to find, are always worth the wait.”
Dear God, teach me the life lessons You want
me to learn along the way. Help me,
stretch me, mold me, guide me. Don’t let
my arrogance, my worries or my selfishness hinder this preparation. I trust You!
Amen.
