Fun With Name Tags

a story from Nationals 2018

The morning of semi-finals, after I had breakfast and reviewed my verses, my family boarded our car. I double-checked that I had everything in my bag – my verses to review on the way, my water, my semi-finals/finals clothes, and my Bible Bee program book.

My dad drove us to the Oak Hills Church. When we arrived at the Prayer Tower (where we semi-finalists were instructed to meet), I suddenly realized that I’d forgotten something – my name tag! My dad went back to our hotel room to get it for me, just in case I would need it.


After semi-finals, I went to “The Backstage Room” (or is it called the Green Room?) to get my things. I took my bag and my jacket from my seat. On the seat beside me, there was a name tag that was faced down.

“Oh, yes!” I exclaimed to myself, “I won’t forget my name tag this time!”

I took the name tag, put it on, and raced outside to talk to my friends. While I was talking with my siblings and people from our Local Bee, someone came up to me and said, “I don’t think you know this, but you’re wearing the wrong name tag.”

“Wrong name tag?” I thought. I looked down at ‘my’ name tag, and gasped in surprise at the name and photo on it. I looked in my bag, and inside was my real name tag! I laughed. It was so funny that I’d worn the wrong name tag without even knowing it!


The next day after finals, I rushed into the Backstage Room again. There was a name tag lying face-down on the seat that I sat on for semi-finals. (However, I forgot that I sat on different seats for semi-finals and finals…) Since I had been busy competing most of the time, I didn’t really get to talk with my friends, and I missed them all a lot. So I was in a rush as I took the name tag, put it on, and raced outside to talk with my friends.

I was talking with the Johnson girls from our Local Bee. Suddenly, Ruthie looked at me and began to giggle. I looked down at my name tag and burst out laughing again. I’d accidentally taken the wrong name tag from the same person I did at semi-finals!

I set off to find the name tag’s rightful owner to return it. It wasn’t hard to find the person, and I returned the name tag.

“I’m so sorry, I took your name tag again on accident!” I said.

“That’s ok,” s/he replied, “I’d gladly switch places with you, too!”

“Sure,” I replied, “I wouldn’t mind!”

I really didn’t mind getting another place instead. I’d expected either Titus or Hudson to get first, since Titus did so well at Locals and Hudson had been to finals so many times. I knew that Louisa and Hannah studied very hard too. In the end, God willed that I would get first, and it is not of my own strength. May His name be praised, and His alone!

Grace Chen
Grace Chen
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