Thursday, July 7, 2011

Anger to Love


It's been a rough 24 hours. This morning when I opened my email this was what was waiting for me.

Do not fear or be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 1:21b

Yesterday I had to teach my 7 year old a tough lesson in standing up for what is right even when it frightens you. Honestly I wish we had been able to avoid it all together.
I had dropped off my daughter at the doctors office to have her foot rechecked. While she was doing this I took my little man across the street to play at the park. There were 6 junior high boys at the park when we got there. This should not have been a problem but unfortunately their choice of vocabulary soon made it a huge problem. I asked them politely twice to refrane from using such bad language with little children around.
After the second time they proceded to just start calling me names that I won't repeat. The third time I just flat out demanded they stop. They didn't. It just amazed me. I ended up having our town cop come and make them leave. It was a horrible experience for me and for my little man. What amazed me the most was that most of the kids didn't care. Only one of them went home and told their father. Mind you I knew all of their parents. That one young man came back with his father and the father made him apologize for being with that group. This young man was not one of them that was using foul language in fact he tried to get them to apologize to me. I was very impressed with him and his father.
I have to say I spent most of my night thinking about how it played out. Most of these boys are growing up in a home without any love or compassion. Much less responsibility. It breaks my heart. Nothing is expected of them so they have no expectations for themselves. It is easy to love the loveable but so much harder to love the ones who hate. That is what these children have been taught. To just hate the world and take what you want for yourself.

I found myself praying for them. Praying that my God would heal them. To mend their broken spirits.

I had made a comment to the police about their behavior and all he had to say was that they were his " Job Security ". It just made me sick to my stomach. My heart cried for these children.

I'm still praying for an answer to this. I know my God is a big God who can handle all things. I just pray that he will heal these boys and help them through this trial in life.