Monday, August 08, 2005

Living on the devils doorstep

Sunday evening as I was getting my kids into the van to take them to freinds for supper, I heard a great big glass shattering sound from the house beside me. I looked up and a man was running from the back yard and running straight into the path of my daughter (she was walking to the house behind me) This man was followed by two policemen on bikes. I had to yell at my daughter to get her to quicken her pace, otherwise she would have gotten flattened by the man running away. Just behind my van the police stopped him and handcuffed him, then put him in a cruiser when a car showed up. All the while, my kids were in the van watching the whole thing. I got into the van and my four year old in all of his wisdom said "that man wasn't nice was he daddy?" I asked him why, and he said "because the police are taking him away".

My heart was racing three times its normal rate. Not because this man was being chased by the police but the realization that my daughter could have been hurt in that ordeal.

Saturday morning there was a murder in my community. Exactly four blocks west of my house. Apparently it was the bad mix of 40 people partying together. Drugs, alchohol and large masses of crowds are always recipes for disaster. A young 17 year old boy was killed in the streets....literally. This greatly grieves my heart. What was God's intention for this young man? When he was forming him in his mothers womb, what was he thinking? Was he to minister to people. Was he to raise a family. Or was he simply going to give glory and honor to God. Often times when I hear of someone dying a horrific death, I think about where that individual is right now.

I was thinking to myself today, "...and I am raising my family here...hmmmm" well God is bigger that any gang member or roughed up individual causing trouble in the neighborhood. I just need to know what my responsibility is to my community. Heck maybe it is simply raising a strong Godly family that can be a light and witness to the dark homes around us.

Passion tells me to get out there and strut my stuff and tell them about Jesus any way that I can. Wisdom tells me, to get on my knees and allow God to breakthrough the evil forces that preside in our community. Then when he moves, I can follow. If I move out ahead of God, then I will get whacked and taken out. Then I will be of no use to them or my family, where my first defence is anyways. I want to be a testimony of Gods faithfulness. Not foolishly, but honestly.

So far I have witnessed drug deals, gang fights, drunken fights, a shanty house being burnt down, garages in the back alley being burnt by arsonist, vandalized vehicles. to name a few. So tonight I sit here asking father God, why do you have me here. (don't get me wrong, it has been my prayer that God would use me in this way)

5 comments:

Trail Rider said...

living by faith told me it was a few houses down from her!
Speechless. God help us..... :**(

Anonymous said...

Well, two block's accually..it was in the 400 block. She is in the 200 block.

Lani - the flowerlady said...

So that's why you were later in arriving and looked a little shell-shocked. Why didn't you say something?

I take comfort in the fact that God is in control and we can trust Him. There isn't anymore than that , good thing that's quite a bit...

Trail Rider said...

Yeah, I realized that at the parade this morning that she is in the 200 block. I must have misunderstood her....

After the parade this morning, ninette and I walked back to my van to notice that the lock had been picked in the drivers side to the point that I couldn't even get the key in! Ninette got in the passenger side (which that lock is broken and won't lock with the automatic locks) and I came around her side and there was all this stuff that wasn't ours in the van! Shoes, blankets, a pillow....my mind was just flipping! Is someone just going to take over my van!>???

Turned out it wasn't my van and I'm digging through someone else's van! It was IDENTICAL! the same year, the same make the same everything! There were a bunch of people wathcing all this from their balconey and said, "i think your van is over there...." (3 cars down) they were all laughing and I'm over reacting as usual, yelling, "this isn't my van! this isn't my van!"

Nin said...

LOLOLOLOLOLOL to Carebear, that was a hoot!
CWG: You have such an amazing heart! By the grace of God one man can part the seas! You are in a great place, and your community is blessed to have you fighting for them. Your light will shine, it already does!