A couple of years ago the following scenario took place:
          I arrived at work just in time to see a young adult woman walking across our broken and boarded up bridge. She was half-way across when she saw me seeing her, at which time she paused as if she was deciding what to do. You want to know what she did?  She kept on going!  Even after I got out of my car and looked directly at her she continued, determined to finish what she started.

          On the other side of the bridge was another young woman, most likely a friend, who also saw me and was a bit more reluctant to ignore the signs forbidding her to cross the bridge. I even heard her tell her companion, “I’m going to walk back around the way I came.”

          However, with a bit of prodding from the one who’d already accomplished the forbidden feat, she too, made her way tentatively across, arriving with obvious relief and perhaps a bit of embarrassment because by now she was aware that I am staff and she has been seen doing something wrong.

          I waited patiently by my car for them to come closer so I could tell them to avoid the area on any future jaunts around the lower lake. But before I got the chance I heard the one who had crossed first say something like this, “You have to know the rules so that you can know which rules are to be broken and if you don’t know the rules you won’t ever really know the ones that are okay to break…” all this was said without taking a breath, and all without once looking in my direction.

          By now, I’m basically walking along beside them as I make my way to my office and I ask her this question, “Do you really believe all that you are saying?”

          To which she replied, “Absolutely,” and then proceeded to restate the previous gibberish.

          Her friend was in total disagreement and I asked another question, “How is that working for you so far in life.”

          Her answer was, “Fine.”

          All the while her partner in crime is making comments to the contrary and it’s obvious she isn’t okay with what just happened.

          Anyway, my mind is searching for something profound to say to her and all that came out was, “I’d love to know how that works when you have kids.”

          Her final response, “I do have kids.”

          By now we have reached the sidewalk to my office. (The whole conversation took place while we were sort of strolling along together in that direction.) We parted, and they went on to the auditorium with their Bibles tucked safely and securely under their arms.

…to be continued

Stephanie

Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women’s Addiction Ministry. She has been married for almost 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. Stephanie serves alongside him as Care Group leaders in their church. They have two grown children.
Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.