Show & Tell

I bought a pair of sweatpants in May. I’ve worn them every day since then. I wear them to bed, I wear them out, I wear them if I can get away with wearing them. If you’ve seen me in the past month, then you probably know what I’m talking about. I haven’t washed them yet either. That’s not the shocker, though. Written down the left pant leg in giant purple letters is the word “HUSKIES”. Has your jaw dropped yet? Thought I’d never wear something even once advertising the dawgs, and now, here I am, doing it every day. In fact, not only did I refuse to assume loyalty, but I became a hater. What’s happened to me?

The last week of school we had show & tell in AVID. Each student brought in something that was important and explained the story of its existence to the class. Nothing they showed was especially monetarily valuable—nothing super impressive when given a first glance—nothing I would pick out of a dumpster. Yet, each day a presenter would struggle through a story while wiping away tears. A set of keys, a basketball, a wallet, a half torn piece of paper—somehow these worthless things became symbols of resilience, reconciliation, relationship, and freedom. The class would become silent as we realized we were being let into a special moment in another’s life—one we could never know without being told. Really this show and tell wasn’t at all about the things each kid brought in, it was about the memory it allowed them to share.

I bought a pair of sweatpants in May. I bought them after I had made a big decision. They say “HUSKIES” down the left pant leg, and I feel at home when I wear them. Part of me thinks I should save them for later, but I can’t. I want to live in them. When I think of all they represent, I wipe away tears. Behind them is a story of transformation, integration, and relationships. They reflect countless memories of a god being so faithful to his daughter and a promise that his faithfulness never grows shallow.  They will remind me to remember this, and they will push me to continue because if we continue to lean, He will continue to dazzle.

You probably wouldn’t pick them out of a dumpster, but six years ago I wouldn’t have either.