It's amazing how many times the words of Psalm 126:5-6 pop up in my life.
Those who sow in tears will reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, will doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Below are 2 posts recounting the Regional speech tournament I was in. I wrote the first one between Saturday and Tuesday - my tears....the next between Wednesday and now - my joy.
NOTE: These are posted out of chronological order. Read from top (here) to bottom (end of 2nd post) I disabled comments until the very end so that it's all like one big long post.
I tried to avoid unnecessary details and any possible over exaggerations. But I'm a speech-er, so you'll have to forgive a bit of melodrama, alright? ;) I should also note that it is long and drawn out. Also know that tournament directors have their reasons, but I also stand resolved on mine. I'll try my best not to make either one of us sound horrible, but it's hard when I stand so firmly on one side of the fence.
The regional speech tournament went just like any other tournament to start out with. Oh, you know. Trying to catch up/get ahead on schoolwork so you could dedicate your focus entirely to the tournament but not actually getting it done until two days before the tournament and then frantically cramming as much speech as is insanely possible. Then realizing (the night before the tourny) that it really was all your fault for not working harder and managing your time better (before the tourny) and so you go into the tournament knowing you don't deserve to do well and slightly nervous of failure - but of course prepared to give it your best. (As well as a small hope that perhaps, since all the last-minute things turned out alright in previous tournaments, that perhaps....God will give you grace this time, too) And then, of course, everything does turn out perfectly fine and you end up enjoying yourself far more than you thought.
::pauses for breath::
And this is where the story begins.
