A Crazy Day and God Is Good. Always.

Today after work I went to find my (unsaved) friend James to take him to a Bible study that he previously agreed he would come to with me. He wasn't home. So I went to find him at the next logical place: The basketball courts. Sure enough, he was there with about 6 other highschool freshmen / 8th graders-- so, it was a fat chance he was going to come with me to Bible study. But I played a game of hoops with them anyways, then I figured I would go to the Bible study after the game by myself. Well, that's pretty much what happened-- James did not come...

But after the game, a fight broke out between two of the other kids. Jeremy and some kid whose name escapes me. In a matter of two minutes, it was the 5 other kids all circled around Jeremy, hurling abusive profanities and pushing to shoving-- they were threatening to beat him up. I jumped in and attempted to break it up, but it was not really happening. I started to get to the bottom of things by asking the group all questions, basically, I, (being the oldest and the biggest), became a mediator between Jeremy and the group that was ganging up on him. After some questions, I discovered that Jeremy stole about $6 worth of cigarettes from the other kid. The other kid wanted justice. They wanted to beat him up.

Jeremy kept saying he was sorry, and that he really was going to pay the other kid back his money. Finally I got all of their attention and said, 
"The one of you who has never stolen anything, the one who has never done anything wrong-- you punch Jeremy first!"
They were caught off guard. I repeated it several times to make it sink in. They were not going to simply forgive Jeremy for his stealing-- it was too hard for them. I told the group, 
"Look, I will pay his debt of $6, and you all can forgive him and let's go."
The kid would not agree to this. He wanted PAY BACK, and he didn't want money anymore. I told them again, and I told the kid he was being unreasonable, because I was going to completely pay him back... but the kid would not take my offer-- So then I told the kid,
"You don't want to be repaid because you don't want the problem to be fixed-- You love hate and you love war."
He heard truth and was speechless. I told the group,
"You all want to fight, and you don't know how to forgive, and until you learn that, all you are going to have is war and hell."
Then they told me to stop preaching. (At this point, I wish I would have shared more of the gospel... but it was a crazy situation, and I have my doubts that the kids would have received the word at all... Perhaps it would have been throwing pearls before swine? I don't know...)
Jeremy said to me, "I'm coming with you."
I said, "I know you are."
The kids weren't going to let him get in the van with me and were trying to push him off the side of the road, down the hill that was next to where I parked, into a fence. I told them that if they didn't let him get into my car, I was going to call the cops. Finally I let Jeremy into my van and I drove him home.

On the way home, I told Jeremy how they just wanted to fight because that's what they love-- hate and war. He agreed and told me he does not believe that's the way to solve anything. Then I told Jeremy that we are all sinners, and we all need to get right with God. I told Jeremy that that is why we must go to God to be forgiven. (Upon reflection, at this point I wish I would have mentioned Jesus... DOH. Sorry Lord.) I told Jeremy that he could come see me at the Salvation Army any time after school. He thanked me and got out at the street he lives on. (I don't think he wants his mom to know he had been smoking...)

Pray for Jeremy. Pray for James. Pray for the other gang of kids.