When I asked Jesus to bring me opportunities for life interruptions, I didn’t anticipate the adventure He would take me on in this very town.
As I was leaving the rock climbing gym this past Tuesday evening, I saw a group of kids watching the climbers. I said hello in passing and left. As I approached my car, a girl from the group ran up behind me and asked if they could have a ride to a house.
I hesitated. A million thoughts ran through my head in that minute. My fears and rationality growing up in this society told me no. So many things can happen. I’ve never done anything like that before. But these kids, ranging from around 9-16 years old, looked like they needed compassion. I had asked for life interruptions. Jesus gave me one. They literally came up and asked me. The real question was, what am I going to do about it?
It was rainy, dark, and cold, and they said it was only a few blocks away. Yeah, I had fears, but I know that Jesus is fearless and He’s in control. I was supposed to meet somebody for coffee in an hour but decided to forego my shower to do this favor. After poorly communicated directions, we pulled up to a driveway in a neighborhood on the north side of town. If you didn’t grow up in the neighborhood, driving through this area is enough to make you nervous.
After getting out of my car, the youngest boy asked if he could use my phone to call his mom. Red flags immediately went up, but I made sure to stay as close to him as possible. He indeed called his mom–I can hear her on the other side, asking questions. He gave it back to me, and right as I was about to leave, his sister said she forgot to say something and wanted to see it as well. So she dials, says a few words…and then my worst fears over this situation happens–she takes off running around my car and through the backyard of the house we were in front of.
In shock, all I can do is pathetically yell at the top of my lungs, PLEASE. I’M JOBLESS. I’D FORGIVE YOU.
She was long gone. I stood there not knowing what to do or where to go.
I could have just given up and gone home. But the story doesn’t stop there. It was only just the beginning of a 2.5-hour goose chase around the neighborhood.
As the kids were getting out, I remembered a young man from this house opening the door and asking why they were there. I wasn’t paying close attention, but there was a sense of familiarity in the way he talked to them. I had assumed that one of the kids lived there.
I knocked on the door and explained the situation. I can immediately sense that it was a safe place. This young man and his girlfriend happened to be hanging out at his mom’s house and had a connection to one of the kids. His mother invited me in, and I sat with her and his girlfriend as he went out in search of my phone.
I knew that Jesus brought me here for a reason. And if He didn’t, then I will make the most of it and share my life with these people. I could have been sitting at a coffee shop catching up with an old friend. Instead, I found myself sitting in a kind stranger’s house in a neighborhood that I would have never ever stepped foot in otherwise.
One of the boys in my car knocked on the door and apologized for what the girl had done. He said it was messed up and left. The young man who went searching returned with the two youngest boys in my car and a story of he said, she said. At this point, this young man who works two jobs and has to get up at 5am is determined to get my phone back for me. Before leaving the house on this chase, I asked him, is this safe? He said yes, and all I can do is believe, trust, and pray that all would end well that evening.
In our quest, there were denials, aggression, and threats. The oldest guy in my car told the youngest that he would bring a gun over and kill him. His dad mumbled something about probation and suddenly became aggressive in driving us away, getting out of the house and swearing up a storm. All I could do was politely say sorry and thank you as he yelled at us to go away. I fervently and continuously prayed for Jesus to bring peace and safety both in my head and out loud.
We woke up parents. As I sat in my car waiting, I asked the two young boys in the backseat if I could pray with them. I knew that they weren’t innocent and could easily try to manipulate people with the influences in their lives. But I know that Jesus is bigger than that and can do anything, so I lifted my prayers to Him and asked that He would make His presence known and transform their lives.
Later standing outside and waiting, I ended up sharing and learning from this young man. I told him he was a good man, and he replied that his mother taught them to be kind to people. His cousin was killed here in town not long ago during a dispute. People commonly walk around outside, and I can hear arguments across the road, wondering if I would be caught in the middle of a dangerous situation by standing in front of a house in this neighborhood. God knows my complete trust was with Him at this point. When He told me to surrender my life, this was not what I was thinking.
People knew the name of this girl. I could have left at any point. I could have gone to the police. I could have gotten myself out of this ridiculously crazy situation.
But I chose to stay.
For me, what started as chase for my phone quickly turned into a mission of how many people Jesus can reach through me in this situation. I knew that it wasn’t a guarantee that I would get anything back, but I felt more alive in my prayers and conversations than I had in the past two months since returning from the Race.
Our chase eventually led me to this girl, both her parents, the young man helping me, and the two little boys who were also in my car. We all stood outside as she insisted that she gave the phone to somebody else. There was silence. Her mother yelled. Her dad said I would have to do what I needed to do and call the police if she didn’t give it up. There was more silence. I told her she was better than what she was doing. I told her God forgave her. I told her that I really didn’t want to call the police. Eventually, she left and returned with my phone, sans case. I told them that their lives were more important than things. That I knew somebody who was almost killed, because people were desperate to steal and that it should never ever get close to that point. That maybe this all happened for a reason, and I hoped that lessons were learned. And that they should just love one another well.
These kids could have gotten into the wrong car. Could have stolen from the wrong person.
Many of you probably think what I did was stupidity at its finest. But you know what? If I knew that it would end with me showing a piece of Jesus to a young girl going down the wrong path in life, it was completely worth it. It was more risky than I bargained for but worth it. Maybe it didn’t sink in right away. Maybe it’ll take a while. But I hope and pray that this girl will always remember the woman she stole from who at the end of the night, gave her the biggest hug and said,
You’re okay. You’re forgiven.
