Embarrassed at a Whole New Level

Embarrassed at a Whole New Level
    Several years ago at a Wednesday evening prayer meeting, our pastor approached me before the service started and said, “Wow, you’re famous now.” I thought, “Did someone read one of my books and tell him what a great job I did?” I’d written three books about a fictional retired homicide detective from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania police force. It was a possibility, but no. I’d posted on my Blog spot in the middle of March about a family that were being called to be missionaries to the cold, icy country of Greenland. J. R. Wright was visiting our church on deputation, trying to collect support for his family while they took the Gospel to the natives of Greenland.
    While J. R. was talking about things that he hoped to accomplish in assisting another missionary family in Greenland, he was specifically talking about starting a boat ministry to reach the small villages that can only be reached by sea. It was then that my phone rang. I’d forgotten to shut off the ringtone and of course it interrupted J.R.s presentation. My ringtone was the theme song to Popeye the Sailor Man. Toot, toot. To say I was embarrassed was an understatement. I fumbled to remove my phone from my pocket and to silent its ten to fifteen second serenade.
    The service went on with no real distraction from my phone’s interruption. At the end of thte service I was greeting the Wright family, I apologized ans said to J. R. to consider the seafaring song as a blessing on his boat ministry. I posted this in the next day’s blog and said that I hoped he forgave me. When I saw him the next evening, that was basically the first words out of his mouth, he forgave me. I gave him my business card as an author and writer. He found and perused my Blog spot.
    Now, back to me being a famous person, the Wright family’s newsletter next updating a world full of churches that during his deputation, he’d been interrupted by a man’s phone playing Popeye the Sailor Man and he too considered it a blessing on his proposed boat ministry.
My accidental, embarrassing, faux pas had gained worldwide fame. I’m sure that J. R. assked his readers to pray that people do not forget to silence their phones for a church service, again. For anyone who may need a blessing from Popeye for their boat ministry please let me know. If only my blog and my books would gain recognition that quickly. (SIGH)