Freedom

Today was a hard day, lots to think about, so I sort of kept my brain's second hard drive on prayer and meditation mode.

I ran into myself today, maybe with a mix of my Amygirl, too; a casual acquaintance that reminds me of Amy with her tattoos, and piercings, etc. She would easily have been likely to stop at Rockin Willies to visit Amy when she was there, fitting in perfectly at one of David's shows etc. Thus to say I've a bit of a soft spot for her. She came from a far away state with her boyfriend to live here. Watching her happily adjusting to working in a traditional work situation and talking to a much older generation as she helps them on the phone. I'm a schmuck for the underdog and the disenfranchised. She announced today she was homeless because her bottom dweller of a boyfriend announced they were breaking up as of this moment and she suddenly had no place to live last night. Only 18, she was trying not to cry as she continued in her much needed job. I was a very traditional type girl compared to most but I know what it's like to have been young and dumped by a selfish person and suddenly find yourself completely alone.

It's my place to be professional etc. I hardly know her but my heart broke. A mutual acquaintance frowned on me when I told the girl I was proud of her for holding herself together and finding a way to work after she had to suddenly spend the night at the bottom dweller's mom's house. Do we turn our back on society just because they made some poor decisions? She was raised by her great grandmother and they gave the room away when she moved out. She had freedom of choice and she chose poorly. Do we pass the cup of compassion or judgement?

I was also thinking today of how many times my world traveler daughter Amy refers to her overly sheltered background with lack of fashion and TV channels etc. As I sat down today to watch my Hercule Poirot on the PBS station memories crashed in about all the wonderful stuff we used to watch on PBS because of our TV depravity. It showed a girl looking in a telescope as one of their ads. It reminded me of how the lack of the world's depravity as my children were raised in Walpole NH enabled my children to soar in their own dreams without the crushing of peer pressure to do what maybe they weren't ready for. For as much as some things were too legalistic with our church folks rules and expectations, my older kids had a wonderfully protected life that made room for each of them to blossom fully. I met a little girl today that may not have had a parents love, care and nurturing. Was she free or were my children free?

God cares for them all. I'm praying this little 18 year old will find God's love in Jesus and not be alone and vulnerable to the next bottom dweller because she could find her full value in the price Christ paid for her.

~But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.~