The Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Prodigal Son

The Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Prodigal Son

 Luke 15:1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety- nine just persons who need no repentance. 8 "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." ' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry. 25 Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' 28 But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' 31 And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "

 

I love the parables of the lost sheep, and the prodigal son, because they show the love that the Father has for us. The self-righteous Scribes and Pharisees were berating Christ, because he received tax collectors and sinners, as well as ate with them. Therefore, Christ told them several parables, that reflect how much he cares for every single soul. Christ said, Luke 15:4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' We all know John 3:16, that the Father so loved the world that he sent Christ so that we might have everlasting life. God left his throne in glory, and became a man, and humbled himself to the death upon the cross, so that we may be saved. Christ’s sacrifice of his own life for us, reflects how much worth each person has to God. Christ is willing to leave the ninety- nine sheep in the wilderness to search for the lost one. The same is true today, Christ will do everything it takes to restore a backslidden Christian through repentance. God’s Holy Spirit will convict a person of their sins, and the Lord will even use tragedy, as well as blessings, to teach us his ways. This brief life on earth is a school of hard knocks. We are exposed to both the kingdoms of God and Satan, therefore, it is up to us to choose good, over evil, in many of life’s difficult situations.

 The parable of the prodigal son relates to most of us. The prodigal demanded his inheritance from his father and wasted it on rebellious living. Then a severe famine came upon the land and he considered eating the pods, that were fed to swine. Then he remembered that his father’s hired servants had plenty of bread, therefore, he decided to return home, to work for his father. There is no lasting peace in rebellious living, for the wages of sin is death. God will supply all of our needs, if we will live in obedience to him. True peace and fulfillment, comes by making Christ our Lord, through keeping his commandments. Believing in Christ, or saying an acceptance prayer, as well as being baptized, will not save your soul, unless you are truly born again. To be born again, is to become a new creation in Christ, by allowing his Holy Spirit to set you apart from the sinful world. We are all called, to bear much fruit for the kingdom of God. When the prodigal son returned home, and was still a great distance from home, his father saw him and ran to him, and kissed him. The repentant son said, “'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.” 22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.

  This parable reflects how each of us would respond to our wayward children returning home. I love how the father ran to kiss his repentant son, and immediately put a robe and sandals on him, as well as, a ring upon his hand. The ring was a token of family membership; and reflects how our heavenly Father is willing to forgive and restore, his repentant children. There is grace, for sins that are repented of. When a person is truly sorry for their sinful lifestyle, God will blot out all of their sins, and give them a fresh start. Christ’s atonement upon the cross, applies to all sins, that are repented of, as well as sins that are committed in ignorance. Willful, habitual sins, are known as bondages, and they will lead to spiritual death, if there is no repentance. Those who keep the faith, and endure unto the end, shall inherit eternal life.

We should display the love of Christ toward those who are currently living the prodigal lifestyle. I have witnessed, self-righteous Christians, who like the Scribes and Pharisees, looked down upon those who are in a rebellious lifestyle. These modern day Pharisees, also despise those who attempt to befriend and reach out, to those who are lost, or backslidden.  We should all have the same attitude as Christ, and be willing to reach out in love, to restore those who have fallen away. If you will humble yourself before the Lord, he may send you out to recover that lost sheep. I have said many times, that we should look beyond the fault and see the need. God does not look at the outward appearance but on the heart, and we should do the same.

 It does not matter, if a person is poor, rich, or dressed in rags, we should display the love of Christ for all of mankind. We should not judge a person, based upon their race, the length of their hair, or what kind of job, or home, they may have. I greatly admire the late pastor David Wilkerson, who founded the Times Square Church in New York City. Pastor Wilkerson reached out to people of every race, and economic status, and created a truly diverse congregation that reflects his multi-cultural city. It is very beautiful, to see people of different races, and cultures, come together in unity to worship their Lord. If Christians, will get rid of their prejudices and learn to love one another, then they may see a true revival.

What is Your Foundation?

 

What is Your Foundation?

Matt 7:24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."  

It is easy to say that Jesus is your foundation, but how many can say that they are obedient to his commandments. In Matthew 7, Christ said, “whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken to a wise man who built his house upon a rock.” Christ continues to say, that when the rain fell, and floods came, and the winds beat against the house, it did not fall because it was built upon a rock. Christ also said,” that those who hear these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand.” When the rain, floods, and winds came, his house fell, because it was built, on an unsecure foundation. I have heard many sermons on how Jesus is the rock of my salvation; but Christ was saying that, those who keep his sayings, are the wise ones, whose house will survive the storm. If you love Christ, and wish to abide in His love, then you will keep His commandments.  John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. God desires obedience more than sacrifice.

 Many churches, are failing to teach their flocks, to be obedient  to Christ’s teachings. Faith in Christ alone, will save no one, a person must be born again. Christ said, that any tree that does not bear fruit, will be cut down, and thrown into the fire. To be truly born again, is to live a transformed life, by putting to death the sinful nature, and being set apart from the sinful world, by God’s Holy Spirit. The end time apostasy is the grace for everything message, that is shutting people out of the Kingdom of God. There is grace for sins that are repented of, but grace is not automatic. Habitual sins, are known as bondages, and if they are not repented of, they will lead to spiritual death. God is removing His Spirit from many churches today, because they refuse to preach holiness anymore; instead, they give their flocks a license to sin. The gifts of God’s Holy Spirit, are being replaced by demonic manifestations in a large number of churches worldwide.

 God is still the Ancient of Days, and he does not conform to our so-called progressive society or theology. God expects us to conform to his standards, by being obedient to His Word. The Lord has commanded me, to tell His children that they must put off the sinful old nature and return to him through holiness. The Lord has also instructed me to inform his children that the glory is departing from the churches. The modern day Scribes and Pharisees are doing the work of Satan by twisting scriptures to please men. God refers to the Christian denominations of men, as Babylon, which is a biblical term for wickedness.

1 Cor 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

If Jesus Christ is truly your foundation then your works should bring glory to his name. 1 Cor 3:11-15 Paul teaches us to be careful in how we build upon our foundation, because our works will be tested by fire. The many fires or trials of life, will prove what your works are made of. Paul said, that If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. Our good, enduring works for Christ, are compared to gold, silver, and precious stones. A pastor, or teacher, of God’s Word, is held to a high level of accountability, therefore it is very important to teach sound doctrine. Teaching the strong meat of God’s Word, is building wisely upon your foundation, and it will be rewarded. Whatever you do for Christ, make sure it lines up with God’s Word, and do it to the best of your ability. If you are not sure if your works are pleasing to God, I suggest that you pray, as well as fast, for an answer. Paul compares our vain works, to wood, hay, and straw, and he said If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Bad works, consists of more than just bad doctrine, because God looks upon the motive of the heart.

 When I was a young man, I was involved in the street ministry. Our ministry team, worked with other street teams, and at times, I worked under different leaders. At least three of the leaders, were very arrogant, as well as, were on a power trip. These men cared nothing about the people they were ministering to; in fact, they looked down upon them. Their only interest was to maintain control of their groups. They loved the praise of their church leaders, and despised the poor and homeless. These men were an example of fruitless ministry. The Lord will judge each man’s works according to sound doctrine, as well as, the motive of their hearts. If your motive for ministry is love, compassion, and genuine concern for your fellow man, then you, will be rewarded. If your motive is power, position, or selfish ambition, then your works will be fuel for the fire.          

 

Abiding in the Vine

 

Abiding in the Vine

John 15:1-8  “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. ⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Christ said that he is the true vine and his Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Christ that does not bear fruit the Father takes away. If you have owned fruit trees, then you know that they have to be periodically pruned. You need to trim the good branches, so that the fruit will have adequate room to grow, as well as produce more fruit. You also need to cut off the fruitless branches, so that the good branches will be able to produce healthy fruit.  The same is true with the body of Christ; the Father must remove the bad fruitless branches, so that the true branches will not die out. The Christians who produce good fruit in their spiritual lives, the Father will prune, so that they may produce more fruit. Christ said that he is the vine and those who abide in him will produce much fruit. Apart from Christ, you cannot bear good fruit. Christ also said, if anyone does not abide in him, he is cast out and is withered. The bad branches, will be gathered together and cast into the fire of destruction.

This is a warning from Christ that we must remain in him to inherit eternal life. A Christian must remain faithful to the Lord until the end, to inherit the Kingdom of God. The bad branches were also in Christ for a period of time, but they did not bear fruit, so the Father removed them. This parable teaches that a person can lose their salvation if they do not bear good fruit in their lives. Luke 3: 9 "And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." The parable of the wise and foolish virgins also teaches this same lesson. The foolish virgins were also in Christ for a period of time, but they became empty vessels, and let their lamps grow dark. The wise virgins, who kept sufficient oil for their lamps, entered the wedding feast of the Lamb, and the door was shut. The foolish virgins knocked on the door and begged to enter, but were denied.

Christ said, that some will bear thirty fold fruit, others sixty, and some one hundred fold. Matt 13:23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” We enter the Christian life as babies, who need to learn to walk spiritually. We take baby steps at first, and the Lord is patient with us, as we grow from milk to strong meat. But the time will come when the Lord expects us to produce the good fruit of the Spirit, and not the bad fruit of the carnal nature.

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,   20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,   21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.   22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,   23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.   24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.   25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.   26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

The most important fruit of the Spirit to have is love. Christ said that if you keep his commandments then you will abide in his love. He also said, this is my commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this that he should lay down his life for his friends. God’s Word also tells us, that the Law and the Prophets are fulfilled, in that we love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, body, and soul, and love our neighbor as our self. God’s Word is clear that without love our faith is worthless. One way that we show the love of Christ is by meeting the physical needs of those who are suffering. God is commanding us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. James tells us that when we see our brethren naked, or destitute without food, and do nothing to help them, then our faith is dead. We show the world our faith in Christ when we display love for our fellow man. 

 John 15:9-14 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. ¹² This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 

James 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?   15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,   16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?   17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.   18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.   19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe -- and tremble!   20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

   

               

Love Your Enemies: A Short Story Written by my Wife

Note:  All  the short stories I post will be fiction, the products of an active imagination.  For example, I was never bullied or harassed in school.  Any resemblance to real people or real places will always be coincidental unless otherwise specified.  However, I did have teachers named Mrs. Yamamoto, Mr. Kurtz, and Mr. Waters.

<sup>Love Your Enemies

It is often difficult to feel compassion for a bully.  Especially one that has harassed and tormented you since the fifth grade.  Yet, that is what I have been taught to do: to "pray for those who despitefully use" me.*  I know I should try to understand what pains Darcy is going through that cause her to lash out.  Yet, because I am her main target, it makes it harder to care about what she's going through and so I focus only on what I have to deal with.

Darcy moved to our town of Remington seven years ago.  From the first day we met in Mrs. Yamamoto's class, she made up her mind she did not like me.  I had been asked by our teacher to help the new girl feel welcome and help Darcy get acquainted.  One look at Darcy and one look at me quickly made our classmates wonder why Mrs. Yamamoto had paired us together.  Darcy only wears dark colors often decorated with skulls.  She dyes her naturally blonde hair black and reeks of sour body odor.  I may not outwardly wear my faith in God by sporting crosses on my clothes, but everyone knows my father is a preacher.  I am childishly known as a goody-goody-two-shoes.

As far as I know, I have never done anything to cause Darcy to dislike me.  She has judged me solely based on my appearance.  Well, that and probably also because of my father's occupation.  We are usually products of our environment, after all. Yet after many long years of tripping me so I spilled my lunch tray, refusing to let me into the girls' bathroom, and following me down the hallways shouting, "Smelly Belly is a Jesus Freak," I ceased the to need know her reason.  And, no, my name is not Belly, of course, but Belinda.

You may wonder why the school never intervened.  Simple, I never complained.  Darcy never caused me any physical harm, just a lot of immature pranks at my expense.  Humiliation I could somewhat tolerate, but being labeled as a snitch would make things unbearable.

Oh, how I longed to be homeschooled, but my parents had five growing children to feed.  My father was a full time minister and part time nursing home janitor, so my mother needed to work outside the home as well.

It was the end of our senior year, but it was not graduation I looked forward to the most, it was leaving Darcy behind forever.  Just one week to go, and I would be free.  But not yet.  God would make sure I learned a lesson that had never taught in any secular school room.

I had Mr. Kurtz for sixth hour psychology.  Our final assignment would be worth 30% of our grade.  According to Mr. Kurtz, it would cause us to think outside our own selfish little worlds.  We would be forced to look at another person we typically never talked to, and see him or her in a whole new light.  I should have sensed danger from the word go, but I had foolishly assumed Mr. Kurtz was being his typical melodramatic self .  It was not until he started naming off the students he had chosen as teams that I realized he paid attention.  He knew which kid had which reputation, and had meticulously matched students based on polar opposites.  The rich cheerleader who lived in a mansion was paired with the poor homeless girl who lived with her mother in their car.  The football captain was placed with the captain of the chess club.  The gothic girl was teamed with the preacher's kid.  Wait!  What?

He then distributed a set of seven questions we were to ask our partner.  After we had each answered all the questions, we had to write an essay on what our preconceptions had been, and how our opinions had changed.  I noticed he did not say if our opinions had changed. 

Mr. Kurtz wisely understood that if we took this assignment out of the classroom, they would never be completed.   He knew his students would either make up the answers, or just refuse to do the assignment.  No stuck-up privileged child would ever allow someone living in a trailer park into his or her home.  Therefore, we were to spend the time interviewing each other in the classroom.  We were to volley questions back and forth rather than individually go through the entire set. We would ask and answer every question to his satisfaction.  If he looked over our papers and felt our answers were in anyway lacking, we would be sent back to our partner.  We were not limited to the seven questions and could add any of our own at will.

Our desks nosily scraped across the floor as we rearranged ourselves into groups of two.  I felt my stomach twist into a roller coaster of knots as I approached Darcy at her desk at the back of the classroom.

I had not expected any pleasant small talk, or any greeting of any sort, so when she began asking the first question before I had even finished sitting down, I was not surprised at her cold tone.

"'What is your full name?  Include any nicknames.'"

"Belinda April Carston.  My parents and sisters call me either Bel or Lindy," I replied, noticing the smirk on her face as she wrote down my answer.  I knew she was thinking of her rude nickname for me as well.  I then repeated the first question for her to answer.

"Darcy Suzanne Jenkins.  I don't have any nicknames, and you can't include what my dad calls me."

"Why not?"  I wondered.

"Because your delicate ears aren't conditioned for swear words," she explained with an abrasive laugh.  She moved on to the second question,  "'Who do you share your home with?'"

I did not know if we were supposed to be specific, so I vaguely answered, "My two parents and four younger siblings."

"Technically I live with my dad, but he spends more time at the bar than at home," Darcy revealed with a mixture of bitterness and sadness in her tone.  She shook it off and read,"'What are your hobbies?'"

"Reading, singing, hiking with my dog, and..."

"Praying?" she completed my sentence with a sneer.

"No, well, yes, but I was going to say baking and swimming," I replied, taking a slow deep breath.  Three questions down.  It was too early to get angry yet.

"My hobbies are smoking and listening to heavy metal music."

I started to write down her response, but she stopped me.

"Wait," she insisted,  "Don't write that.  My real hobbies are playing the trumpet, learning foreign languages, drawing, and I also like to read and go for walks with my dog."

Okay, so I had not expected those answers, and half-wondered if she was telling the truth.

"What kind of dog do you have?"  I ventured.

"White trash hound.  And you?"

I ignored her sarcasm and said, "He's a mutt from the dog pound.  I think he's German shepherd mixed with yellow lab."

"Sounds like a dog with a lot of energy," Darcy remarked, her tone sounding civil for the first time in seven years, "My dog is a Rottweiler mixed with a pit bull."

Again, I did not know if she was being truthful or facetious, but we moved on to the fourth question.

"'What career do you want to have?'"

"I want to go to culinary school and eventually own my own bakery that also sells dog and cat treats," I offered.

She nodded her head as if she approved.  "I want to illustrate children's books."

"Who's your favorite author?"  I shot, trying to call her bluff.  I could not imagine her ever reading for pleasure and did not expect her to know the names of any authors.

"Kate DiCamillo.  I would love to illustrate one of her books."

"I love her stories.  My favorite is 'Because of Winn Dixie,'"  I said a little too enthusiastically.

"Of course it is; it's about a preacher's daughter."

"Yes, but it's also about reaching out to people who are lonely or considered outcasts," I countered.

Her blue eyes glared at me from behind the black eyeliner.  "That's why it's called fiction.  Real preacher's daughters don't make friends with anyone different from herself.  They just roll their eyes and wrinkle their noses at the smell when the teacher asks her to be the new girl's guide."

"Darcy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"I was a scared and lonely young girl who just needed a friend.  And instead you became my judge," she accused.

Her stark truth burned right into my heart.  All this time I felt like she had been the instigator of our opposition, but in fact, I had been the one who first rejected her.  True, it did not excuse her bad behavior, but she was acting out of hurt.  I was ashamed of myself.

"Who's your favorite author?" she suddenly blurted, choosing to change the subject back to the previous topic.

"Charles Dickens," I answered, my voice still shaky with remorse.

"He's pretty amazing too," she agreed, then looked back at the assignment to question five.  "'Do you think you will get to follow your dreams?'"

"Maybe someday, but not for a while," I said, forcing my mind to focus on the new issue, "The nearest culinary school to Remington is 300 miles away, and I promised my parents I would stay close to home until the younger kids are old enough to help do the cooking and cleaning.  The next oldest is only thirteen.  I help mama now because she doesn't get home from work until 7:00.  I'll make sure I get a job so I'm home when the kids are off school."
 
"Why don't you just do what you want to do and let your family hire a nanny?"  Darcy wondered.

"My family is my top priority, and they can't afford a nanny.  After all, they've paid for my upkeep for 18 years, it's the least I can do."

"Noble," she muttered rather sarcastically.

"Your turn to answer the question," I prompted.

"I've already submitted some of my artwork to a literary agent, and she believes I have real talent.  I have an appointment to meet with the children's editor at Elgin Publishing in New York City the week after graduation," she reported.

"That's exciting!  I bet your dad's proud of you," I said.

She made a noise something like a grunt and went on with the assignment.  "'What will you miss the most about high school and what will you miss the least?'"

"I pretty much hate school, so I can't say I'll miss anything.  As far as what I'll miss the least?"  I paused and locked eyes with her.  I wanted to say it was being bullied by her, but I think she got the idea.  "I won't miss lunch."

"Why?  We have good food here."

"I know, but I always end up sitting alone reading a book.  The time kinda drags.  I'd rather skip lunch and go home and hour earlier."

She studied me thoughtfully.  "I never thought of you as being lonely."

"No one wants to be friends with a square."

"I don't think anyone uses that word anymore."

I sighed.  "I guess not.  But at least I won't look back at my many years trapped in school with ay regrets."

I hit an unintentional nerve again, and she made another grunting sound.  "I will miss my art class.  Mr. Waters is the one who encouraged my talent and helped me find an agent," she paused as she thought over her next response, "I also will not miss lunch.  I have people to sit with, but the people who party with you are not the same ones who rejoice when you get a meeting in New York.  I know I'll never see any of them again."

"I guess I never thought of you as lonely either," I returned.

She nodded, but did not want to dwell on it.  "Question seven:  'Is there anything you would like to add?'"

I was uncertain if I wanted to approach the subject again, but figured it would most likely be my last opportunity to do so.  "I'm sorry for being so judgmental of you.  I hadn't realized until now what I snob I have been.  I always thought you didn't like me because I'm a Christian.  But that doesn't matter; I still should have been kinder to you.  We have a few things in common, we may have even become friends."

"I wouldn't go that far!"  she said with a mocking air, but sincerely added, "Maybe we could have."

"'Is there anything you would like to add?'"  I repeated.

I naively expected her to apologize to me as well, but instead she simply said, "No."

"Fair enough," I decided.

The bell then rang and Mr. Kurtz dismissed the class.  And just like that, the conversation with my enemy was over.  We never spoke again.

All the way home from school that day, all I could think of was that I had never once considered Darcy's home life or her hopes for the future.  I had never seen her as anything but my own personal bully.  It turned out she was an ambitious young woman about to achieve her dreams.  Yet, she was still just a sad and lonely little girl wanting someone to be her friend. 

Of all the years I spent in classrooms, the lesson Mr. Kurtz taught stuck with me more than any other.  I prayed for Darcy every day after that eye-opening assignment.  I also prayed for forgiveness for being so self-centered.   I prayed I would never again waste the opportunity to be a friend to someone in need, no matter what she looked like.  I never again wanted to squander the opportunity to share the love of Jesus.

I was certain there would be more bullies to face in my life, but I vowed after that day that I would see them through less critical eyes and reach out to them, even if they rejected me.  Perhaps next time God placed someone in my life to witness to, I would not drop the ball.  I would pray to make up for my past mistakes, and to be transformed into a woman God could use; a woman who could learn to love her enemies.   

 * "</sup>But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."  Matthew 5:44