Father Forgive Them…

posted on Jan 05 by Linda Beck in the Guest Authors, Linda Beck category

After being cursed at in the Wal-mart parking lot, this verse of scripture spoke to my heart. I had heard just a few weeks before about two ladies having their purses snatched off their shoulders there and about a man on a handicapped scooter being attacked and robbed. I’ve been using a scooter for fifteen years, and I cannot let statistics or fear dictate my life.

I “scoot” my scooter all over Salisbury and when the weather is as nice as it was that day in October, I rejoice in the Lord for those “freedom” days. I have learned it is best to get in the traffic lane there because if I’m right at the tail gate of cars, they may not see me when they start to back out of the parking spaces.

Most people (with common sense) might toot their horn and go around me (slowly) on the left, (if they are in that big of a hurry) but not on this day! Three young men, probably between 16 and 20, flew up behind me, swerved way out to the left and one yelled out the window, “You better get the —-(four-letter word that I despise) out of the way!”

Since I have never had anyone talk to me like that, my “righteous indignation” caused me to put the “pedal to the medal” and I caught up with them as they were getting out of the car. I could hear my kids (and friends) telling me to “ignore it…let it go…you might get hurt, etc.” but that is not my nature. Since I couldn’t whip this young man or wash his mouth out with soap, I replied with “You need to clean up your mouth.” He yelled more obscenities as he walked in front of me. I couldn’t help thinking about what we all were once taught so I said, “You need to keep to the right.” He spouted off again so I warned one of the managers to keep an eye on him as he is “trouble waiting for a place to happen.”

Should I or should I not have responded? This reminds me of “the other side of the coin” when I’ve had to ask many young men to help me. Everyone I have ever had to ask has been courteous and respectful and for them I reply, “You should read a poem called ‘Somebody’s Mother’.” It’s about a young boy playing with his friends when he notices a little old lady trying to cross the busy street. He leaves his friends and rushes to help the elderly lady cross safely. When he returned to play, he explained to his friends,

“She’s somebody’s mother, boys, you know, and for all she’s aged, and poor, and slow. And I hope some fellow will lend a hand to help my mother, you understand, if ever she’s poor and old and grey, when her own dear boy is far away.”

And “somebody’s mother” bowed low her head in her home that night, and the prayer she said was “God be kind to the noble boy, who is somebody’s son and pride and joy.”

Well, boys that act like that have mothers with reason to be proud. I never had a son, but if I had, I hope that mine would not have been like the one in the parking lot. I think he even embarrassed the other two boys with him. But may God forgive this young man for he has no idea how his conduct and filthy mouth “ruined my beautiful day.” And may father forgive me for the anger I felt. His word tells us: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger,” so God gave me this story so I could get rid of my negative thoughts. Maybe someday this boy will come to know the Lord instead of the devil that is working within him.