A Time To Stand Up

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Saturday was rainy and humid as we made our way across town to my niece's 9th birthday party. It was going to be a girly affair, and my daughter and I were both quite excited. Since then, I have pledged to never return to this particular mall. IT WAS A ZOO!!! The parking situation was WAY BEYOND ATROCIOUS and we witnessed, I kid you not, three separate arguments IN the parking lots over parking spaces. And then we got caught up in one of them.

We teach our children in our home that as Christians we are to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. (Mathew 10:16) We teach that most of the time, it is preferable to be falsely accused that to prove your point. (I Peter 3:16-17) We teach that we are to return nasty and unkind comments with a warm and forgiving smile, even though we don't ALWAYS do it. (Proverbs 25:21-22) And we also teach that God never intended for Christians to be doormats. (Mathew 5:13) We are to do all these former things so that people will know we are serious when we do have to stand for something that is important. Is a parking space really that important, even when your quest to find it has already made you 15 minutes late? Of course not. But my children's safety most definitely is! Honor and doing the right thing is. And that is what we faced from a roughly 200 lb. bodybuilder with a serious attitude problem.

Oh yes I did.

Let's just refer to this "man" - and by that I mean probably in his early thirties - as "Steroid Boy," because that is as apt a description as any other. Seriously, if you have ever seen the movie 50 First Dates and recall the character that plays Drew Barrymore's brother, the one so ramped up on steroids that he talks with a lisp and walks like his cheeks are glued together, that was this guy! He OBVIOUSLY values rock hard muscles and his ego first and foremost. He looked like a cartoon, because his muscles were so unnaturally defined. Honestly, he didn't look strong as much as he looked ridiculous. But anyway.......

I was trying so unsuccessfully to find a parking spot when I saw one straight ahead of me across the adjacent lane. Unfortunately, I also saw two cars closer by who spotted it also. "Steroid Boy" arrived there first and waited for the current car to back out. As soon as it did, a little black Honda swooped in and took the spot. As of now, I was on "S.B.'s" side. But what happened next had me incensed! As I had approached the area, I had started to turn left around "S.B." to continue on somewhere else to find a spot, in the lane next to him and going the other direction. But as I started to make my turn, he cut his vehicle into that lane diagonally, blocking both his lane and mine, in order to get out and scream at the man in the black car. This left me, with three young children sitting in a busy intersection in a parking lot full of mad and irrational drivers. We were not in safe place. But this hypocrite didn't care. There he was, using his size and benching ability alone to convince this guy who's boss. I understood his anger, but his arrogancy and hypocrisy made me cringe. "Hey" I called out the window to him. "I understand your anger, but by blocking us here in the thoroughfare, you're keeping me from going anywhere just like he's done to you AND you are leaving me where a car could hit us."

He looked confused. He apparently didn't realize anyone else has basic rights on this planet. Or else he was trying to bring one of his seven brain cells to the surface. Whatever. Having successfully bullied the man in the black car to go find another spot, he turned his attention to me, walking to the front of his car where his girlfriend sat completely blank-faced behind the windshield. "Back up!" he literally growled at me, bugging out his eyes and sticking out his chest. I almost burst out laughing, but my anger intruded. He wanted me to reverse back into the lane I was leaving, which was clearly impossible with a line of cars sitting just behind me. No matter. I wouldn't have given in to his demands anyway. I had my children to consider. "Or what?" I said with my stare. "Are you going to beat me up in front of three children?" I postured flatly. So instead I pulled forward, causing him to wait on his spot, and requiring a backing up in order to straighten up enough to continue past him since he had cut his car so far in. And I did it in my own sweet time. I wasn't going to reward his demands with even any implication of compliance.

Now I DO NOT ordinarily opt for or reccomend confrontation. But I don't regret my actions one iota since coming home to more fully think through these events. I want my children to learn that they are OBLIGATED to stand up against bullies who threaten their safety or especially others. Obviously, I am not going to teach them to sass off to a guy with a gun or anything, but we have had issues with bullies in the past. In fact, in the pretty recent past, since some new neighbors moved in. I have told the children and I believe THIS: If you give in to a bully, you have only rewarded their behavior, their demands, and especially their egos. I believe it in the schoolyard, the mall parking lot and yes, even in war and terrorism. And just as I expected, and by God's grace on me, he backed down. We ended up, no kidding, with THE absolute closest parking spot to the front doors of the entire mall. And as we by Providence "happened" to walk into those doors at the exact same time as "Steroid Boy," he gave me his best mad face, but he didn't say a word. I wrestled to force a smile back at him and gave thanks that God offers protection from he who is in the world. (I John 4:4)

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

Mmmmmmmm

A three-minute microwaved meal, Benadryl, the ceiling fan on medium and BED.

They have never felt so good!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm A Puppy Grandma, With Hearing Loss And Everything!

First off, I want to give an update on my friend that several of you have prayed for and asked about. Thank you so very much for your sincere concern. Unfortunately, I have not heard from her all week. I am going to assume it is just because she is in the middle of moving into their new home (very near where the suspect was first seen, unfortunately) and because they are very busy with their many family issues. I think she WOULD have called if she felt like things were too out of control, so I guess I would just ask that anyone who thinks of them please continue to pray. My friend did tell me that the suspect was taken into custody later in the evening of the incident, but every web report I can find says that he was never caught. So many questions I have for her when the time is right. I'm assuming the boys are back in school, but that is only an assumption. No update on the family members either. :( I'm sure I'll try to call her again this weekend.

On a nicer note, here is what I wrote on a list of events happening earlier this summer:

"The neighbor dog coming over (and over and over) to "call upon" our lady yellow lab (through a hole he dug under our fence.) Explaining some things to our kids as a result."

Well, the little products of our paramour stray made their debut last night while we slept. Actually, the rest of the household slept. I was up much of the night stifling some unflattering language while my STUPID DUMB ear infection of three weeks raged on. I haven't had one since I was like, maybe seven, and I was already ON antibiotic for the staph infection when I got it, but I digress. Anyway, I am nearly fully temporarily deaf and wasn't able to hear the little buggers being born. I wanted so badly to let the kiddos stay home from school for the day, but wouldn't you know it - they had their first major tests of the year today. We studied for over three hours last night, which I would never normally tolerate for an appropriate amount of homework on family time, except that most of it was for Bible class and to me, that's the most important and most undertaught subject. It's probably for the best that it's working out this way. It gives Momma a little bit of time alone with her brood before the kiddos get their curiosity all up in her face. They are SO EXCITED to get home for the day. My oldest reminded me to "PLEASE run all of your errands BEFORE school is out........we want to go STRAIGHT HOME after school!" It is so fun watching them admire new life. Ten pups, all black, the color of their long lost Dad. (Our dog is yellow, but both are labs, so the pups are full blood - at least to our *nake*d eyes.) I was so proud of my little girl, who was willing to hold the afterbirth covered in dirt so it didn't pull on the belly of the little runt while we coaxed Momma to carry it over to the warmth of the doghouse with the others. (Sorry for all the bad grammar on that sentence.) She birthed them in a hole dug under my husband's tractor. So far we have named two of the puppies - Mudball and Ranger. The kids came up with them and I think they did an outstanding job. I'd love to hear your suggestions as well! We don't know yet how many boys or girls. I've never been so anxious for school to end though. God answered our prayer for the event to take place on the weekend! Seriously, the kids asked this of the Lord so they would have a lot of time to enjoy it when it took place. How grateful I am to be able to point out to them that God hears them and cares about the desires of their hearts, not just on our behalf, but personally.

And in total randomness, because I regret how much of life I am failing to record in recent weeks (my new prayer group, the bird in the garage, jealousy and happiness for my friend invited as a delegate to the GOP convention!) this last night from my little boy in response to his poor unwitting dad:

Hubby: Hey, J, I need to ask you something and I need you to be completely honest with me when you answer me.

J: Oh brother, I don't like where this is going!

Ha ha ha ha ha! At age six!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Little did Dad know the kids had been grilling each other earlier on "if you HAD to pick a girl in your class that is the coolest, NOT for a girlfriend, O.K., but just the coolest, who would it be?" That kind of stuff. Oh, but his answer just ki*lled me!

Last week he asked me when I met a particular friend that I have become reaquainted with after many years of lost contact. I told him she had attended our church before he or his brother or sister were ever born. His response?

"Was that in the NINETEEN'S?!"

Me: What do you mean?

J: Like in the year NINETEEN something?

Me: Yes, it was about 1996 or 97.

J: (Giggling) Oh, wow! You knew her a LONG time ago! I can't believe you knew her WAY BACK in the NINETEENS!!!!"

Oh. Boy.

And lastly, if you've made it this far -

Wow.

Thanks.

You probably need to get out more.

No, really. I miss the back and forth of blogging that I simply haven't been able to tend to responsibly the past couple of months. Please know that I certainly don't wish to ignore anyone and I still pray for you as I read your blogs. Toni, for your hubby's job sector instability and your baby cousin, Denise for Fletcher and your whole family, Sniz for your son in school for the first time, Sky, Michelle, Tirzah (LOVE your new blog look!) for your beautiful new babies, Gwen, Susie, Sunshine, Susan, Calissa, Ashleigh and others - you are on my mind and in my prayers as often as I am able to read, even if my comments have become so rare.

I hope you each have a restful and wonderful weekend! I suspect we'll be spending a giant chunk of ours in the back yard.