| Tuesday, June 13, 2006 |
| Yep, I'm Back, but... |
... I'm mad as a hornet.
Before I blog about my amazing experiences in England, France and Italy, I need to get something off my chest. I have been haunted for days about something and I need to blog in order to organize my thoughts about it.
While in Europe, a girl -- you could make the case to say young woman -- seemed to latch onto me during our touring excursions. At first it didn't make much sense. I was the sit-in-the-front-of-the-bus-and-listen-intently-to-the-tour-guide type and she was the lie-in-the-back-and-complain-about-walking-too-much type. For about the first ten days, I don't think we traded more than five words. She was a beautiful girl, but she had a poor attitude. I was warned early on in the trip that her poor behavior caused problems at school and with her peers.
She was trouble. Her name: Diana.
In France, an autistic girl who was with us lost her camera and I watched as Diana showed concern and helped the girl calm down and search for the camera. I approached Diana after the episode and told her that I thought it very mature that she would care so much. She said that she could be nice if she tried. I told her that it would be better to be naturally nice and have to force herself to be mean, not the other way around. From that moment on, she followed like a little puppy.
During our free time, she went off with her friends. On the bus, she still sat in the back. And at the hotels, again, she would disappear with the other kids. But during the walking portions of our excursions, she would hang out nearby. At first she said it was because the locals left her alone. Later, she admitted that it was because I didn't complain like the others.
On our last day, she wrote me a note and handed it to me at the airport -- she was staying behind with family. She said that I could read it when I got bored. Here is a portion: Dear Mr. Francis!
Today is the day that you're leaving. That makes me a little sad. Believe it or not, I have learned a lot from you. The bus is now moving, so my writing might get bad. I really just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed "hanging" with you, poking you, and teaching you to be a critic.
Out of all the people I got to know, you were definitely the best person I met. Thanks for the new view on life because that has changed my perspective on life and the people that come in and out of my life. Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. Thanks for being there.
What's bothering me is this: During our walks she told me that her father has been in and out of prison. Her brother is serving eight years for burglary. Her mother is a weak parent. Her home life has been a wreck since the beginning.
Now, she is responsible for her own actions. She isn't innocent of all her poor decisions. And maybe she just had a childhood crush on me. But I truly believe that she enjoyed the boundaries and hanging out with an adult who was fair and honest. I hope she recognized Joy that she had never seen in her parents.
What could she have been like if only God-fearing, loving parents had raised her?
And that's why I'm flustered. Don't you just want to choke some parents? This young girl could have been so much more. I get so mad to see the results of parents' selfishness when I examine their children's lives. I mean real mad -- mad and sad at the same time.
So, please pray for Diana. Pray that she will come to a relationship with the Father that she didn't have with her father. Pray for her safety. Pray for a miraculous salvation. |
posted by Joe Napalm @ 9:09 PM   |
|
| 2 Comments: |
-
You hit the ground running on this one ! Welcom back. This is very sad and it appears that it is a growing trend in this direction. Children are viewed as another stepping stone in life, a milestone in the ladder of success, an item to check off a to do list. Instead of a blessing, many people see children as a finacial burden and an obstacle to obtaining more stuff. Check out my upcoming post, "Family Matters" as I plan on discussing this in greater detail as well as other facets of all things family.
-
It reminds of a kid named Aaron in my sixth grade class, he also has a father in prison and a mother who could care less. He is disruptive, and I get onto him for it, but it is a true case of a kid not knowing any better. Thanks for being like Chirst. We sin, and we know better, yet Christ is forgiving, loving, merciful, and kind. Oh...what a wonderful Savior. Thanks again Joe, you may be the only Jesus Diana will ever see.
|
| |
| << Home |
| |
|
|
|
|
You hit the ground running on this one ! Welcom back. This is very sad and it appears that it is a growing trend in this direction. Children are viewed as another stepping stone in life, a milestone in the ladder of success, an item to check off a to do list. Instead of a blessing, many people see children as a finacial burden and an obstacle to obtaining more stuff. Check out my upcoming post, "Family Matters" as I plan on discussing this in greater detail as well as other facets of all things family.