#ULOG 10: Rushing to avoid keeping my friend waiting

A friend sent me a message at 1 PM this afternoon, asking if I was free for dinner at an authentic Thai restaurant a few blocks away from the university gate. She loves Asian cuisine, particularly Thai and Vietnamese. I told her that I was free from 5 PM to 6 PM because I'd be attending our Worldwide Bible Exposition (WBE) at 6:30 PM. She agreed to the schedule.

At around 4:45 PM, I had to suddenly drop by somewhere because of an emergency. I messaged my friend if she'd be coming from her apartment, since the place I'd be dropping by is just nearby. I knew I'd be late for our dinner, so I was looking for a way to somehow avoid making her wait while I take care of the emergency, which is a priority.

She wasn't able to read the message, so she called me asking me where I was. She and another friend were already at the restaurant; I felt bad because I was just on my way to the place where I was supposed to drop by. I told her this, and she said that it was okay to postpone; we could have dinner again next week, she said. I told her that I'd be back immediately.

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She probably misunderstood me and thought that I could no longer make it. I insisted that I'd be back because I respect other people's time. She then asked me if she'd order a meal for me; I answered yes. I know how it feels to wait for something that will never arrive, and I don't want to make anyone feel that way because of my own shortcomings.

I then messaged her that I was on my way. I hurriedly went to the restaurant and found them already eating Pad Thai, a stir-fried rice noodle dish. They ordered the same dish for me. I asked my friend if she read my messages on Facebook; she said that she didn't. I explained the situation and why I had to rush there. I was happy that she understood.

I didn't really like the noodle dish because of its spicy and sweet flavor, but because it was my friend's treat and I don't want to look unappreciative, I tried to eat all of it.

She introduced me to her friend and we chatted about the recently concluded online enlistment of subjects for the midyear, which I wrote about in my previous blog. We talked about our college lives and other things we were fond of such as Japanese and Korean food.

I wanted to invite them too in our WBE, but they said that they had things to do at home. I ended up having lots of leftovers because I easily got full. We left the restaurant at around 6:15 PM, and I was able to be on time for our event.

As much as possible, I avoid keeping people waiting for me, because I know how valuable time is and how it feels to be kept waiting, especially if the person won't be coming. There are times when I inevitably come late and it bothers me so much; if there was something I could do to make up for my shortcoming, I'd do it to be fair with others. More importantly, I want to be able to set an example to others that we Christians are disciplined and value time.

I still remember how my friend's voice sounded when I told her that I was just on the way for an emergency. I could tell that she was disappointed and sad; she wasn't angry though. I'm thankful that despite various circumstances, God helped me deal with them.

Thanks be to God for this Friday night, which won't be complete without our weekly WBE! <3