We all slept late this morning for some reason. As I was emerging into consciousness a thought came to me out of the blue. "Didn't I agree to lead an assembly sometime at a local school? I don't remember seeing it coming up in my diary." At 8:40 I got up, splashed some water on my face and wandered into my study to set my mind at rest regarding the assembly. No sign of it on iCal (the MacBook diary which is usually such a reliable guide to my life). So where would I have any record of it? A search through the pile of papers on my desk brought to light a note which said "Monday 20th September, Assembly at 9:00" I glanced at the clock. 8:48 am. At this point I was still in my pyjamas and, not having done a school assembly for over a year, with nothing prepared.
Twelve minutes later I arrived at the school with a rough outline of an interactive talk in my head. My biggest concern was a totally dry throat which meant I was having difficulty talking. Fortunately there was a water dispenser right outside the hall...
So thank you, Lord, for a) the thought which popped into my mind as I woke b) a parking space within one minute's jog of the school entrance c) a water dispenser in exactly the right place and d) the positive feedback from an extremely hastily prepared talk. But aside from my heartfelt gratitude, I also ask for sufficient administrative competence to make such desperate measures unnecessary in future. Perhaps I ought to look through that pile of papers and see what other surprises are lurking.
