Chuck Cut Homeroom

One day last week was my day for those kinds of phone calls.  In a span of about two hours I received five of those “political” or “survey” calls on the home phone.  Just to get away from the phone I went outside and played with the dogs.
While I was out back my cell phone rang, and it was a Colorado number I did not recognize.  As I answered, I thought, “Oh no, now they have my cell phone number too!”

Sure enough it was a computer generated voice. As I was about to press the button to disconnect the call, I heard enough to make me pause and listen.

“This is the attendance tracker at Discovery Canyon Campus, you student…Charles Nofel…had an unexcused absence from Thunder Time today.  Please address this with your student and call the principle’s office.”

Thunder Time is Chuck’s homeroom class, and I think it is at the end of the school day.

Chuck cut homeroom?

Did Kim pick him up early and nobody told me?

I wonder if all is well in Colorado Springs?

I immediately called Kim.  No answer. Uh oh!

I called Chuck.

“Hello?” – He sounds o.k. 

Well, if he’s o.k. what is he doing cutting homeroom of all things?  I explained my reason for calling and the call I received from the computer at school.

He chuckled and said, “It was a mix-up.”

O.K. now I am thinking what kind of mix-up did he get tangled up in.

“Tell me about it.”

He said, quite calmly and logically. “They had an assembly for seniors in the loft.  A bunch of people from different colleges were there talking to us.  They even gave us cookies.  It went over and we missed Thunder Time.”

I laughed along with him.  Of course, Chuck would have a logical explanation.  I said to him, “And I thought you bugged out to get a milkshake.”

“I would never do that, Dad!”  I could feel his eyes rolling at me.

After I hung up with Dude, I called Kim again.

She answered saying, “Sorry you couldn’t get me, I was on the phone with the computer at school telling me Chuck skipped Thunder Time.  I already received two emails, and talked with him about it. I joked that he went out for an Icee."  It is nice to know both parents think alike.

As I was telling her I also received a call and talked it through with Chuck, I heard Grama in the background answering her cell phone.  She was receiving a call in her cell phone informing her that Chuck skipped Thunder Time.
Kim and I both agreed we are glad such instant reporting didn’t exist when we were in high school.  Our explanations would not have been as logical or innocent as Chuck’s.  Kim concluded that the computer must just about blow up on senior cut day.  We are prepared.

As I thought about being watched so closely and being so accountable for our actions, of course, my mind went to Psalm 139:1-12:
You have searched me, LORD,
    and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
    you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

On one hand, we are in the sight of the Lord each and every second.  That is so comforting! 

On the other hand, we are in the sight of the Lord every second.  That is so scary!

The Lord is with us forever and always.  The Lord always knows what we are doing – good and bad; honorable or disgraceful; wonderful or appalling.  He knows our most honest and selfless thoughts.  He knows when we lie (even to ourselves) and our most base desires.  It is kind of wild to think about and intimidating. 

But you know what.  He loves us!  He knows us, better than we know ourselves.  He sees us as we are, not as we want to show the world and He LOVES us.  I am so grateful, and I with this in mind, I am also working on cleaning up my act – in his sight.

Grace and Peace, Steve Nofel

View Blog Home Page