When God gives you 4 similar experiences in 1 day, he plans
on you taking notice.
Most of the kids
were downstairs for recess, just a few left upstairs cleaning the classrooms
when I heard a scuffle break out in the classroom next to mine. I found two
boys putting each other in the choke hold. After breaking them apart and sitting
them down across from me, I noticed their glares that could have been daggers. I
began my lecture that God created our hands for good like greeting each other,
eating, and serving, not for fighting, grabbing, or killing. I asked them “Where
do you come from? What is going on there now? War! Who is killing your people?
Yes, your own people. You came here to be safe and now are waring with each
other. I found it a compelling discourse, but when I asked them if they wanted
to live in peace they both responded with the negative. “Well” I said, “I
normally end these conversations with making each party apologize and shake
hands, but I’m not going to do that with you because if it doesn’t come from the
heart it won’t make a difference, so you can continue to kill each other” and I
left the classroom. I noticed later when their teacher was back in class with
them they were both sent out to the principal crying, and so DEATH went on…
Leaving the school, I went to visit one of
my new student’s families. Some of her neighbors came over and they were each
sharing a piece of their story of suffering and pain, but the one that stood
out to me was a women who suffered much abuse from her husband who was an alcoholic
and a drug addict. First time to meet her, she had nothing else to share that
defined her. She had tried to go to family, but there was no space for her and
the kids, and she couldn’t leave the kids in the environment alone. We lifted
her up to the Father, but as we left DEATH went on…
Going to the next house, my friend, who happens to be wife
number one, wasn’t home, so we went around the side to wife number two with whom
I am also acquainted. I met wife number three sitting in her little two room
house, after a good conversation, I was blown away when another woman walked in
with her handful of kids. She was the husband’s sister and staying in this small
house for the time being as she pursued divorce from her husband whose abuse
had become unbearable. Would DEATH go on going ahead of us into every house? We
put her in the Father’s hands.
Another visit or two and my sister and I got home at
10:30pm. “Wow,” I said “We might make it to bed early… but I haven’t checked my
phone.” I flopped on my bed and pulled it out. Found a message from my roommate
saying “I am next door at the neighbors. Come over when you get home, sounds
like they are being evicted because of fighting.” Standing back up I went next door
where I was served tea and sunflower seeds and then I begin to ask about the
issue. What had always seemed to be a sweet loving family was now being laid
bare as the mom stretched out her hands showing the cuts on her hands and arms
and shared about the conflict between her and her 14 year old daughter which
led to hitting, scratching, and a constant flow of insults and threats. The
daughter tried to share her side but ended up running off into the bedroom
crying. I asked permission to follow her and spent the next hour listening and
sharing. She seemed receptive and willing to try forgiveness. Going out to the
mom, I found her less receptive. She couldn’t even say she loved her daughter, there was too much bitterness bottled up. Around 1am we left but DEATH would go
on…
Not too many days
later I would hear it from my apartment and rush over to find another fight. I
asked the mom for permission to take her daughter back to my apartment for a
time. It was a Friday morning so I had plans for sitting on the balcony and
spending time in the word. My phone was on my dresser playing a Youtube mix, as
I went to make a cappuccino I came back to find her staring at my phone as she
asked “Who is that being beaten?” “Oh, that is the one who was beaten and even
crucified for me” I responded. We went on the balcony and as I began my quiet
time she also began to read and finished the whole story of that ONE. Later in
the day, I left for another city and my roommate took up watch. That night
before she went back home to go to bed, I called her and her mom encouraging
them to talk together.
Weeks later with
another cup of tea in hand, the mom expressed her love for her daughter who
blushed. Another week or so and I find a minute with the daughter alone and say
“So things are good?” Yes, she responded very good, and my soul rejoiced
because the Father was starting to bring LIFE!
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