Trusting God Through Our Brokeness.
Over the summer, my one outlet for normalcy amidst all this Covid craziness was spending time at the BMX track here in Spokane. My boys and I were able to still visit friends as well as making new friends. One of the racers was 16-year-old, Noah. He ended up living just 2 blocks from our house. Once he realized where we lived, he showed up the next Sunday morning riding his bike near the back door wearing his racing helmet. He was ready to play! But, it was 6:30 am. Needless to say, the boys were asleep. I went outside to talk to him and told him it was a little early and said he should come back in a couple of hours.
I have had a lot of experience with this type of kid. I realized right away that he is probably someone that doesn't have a lot of friends and was super eager to hang out with any possible new friend. As I got to know him, I could see the brokenness in him and how
important it was for him to have a friend. Well, my older son became annoyed with him pretty quickly, and I certainly understand some of his reasoning. My younger son, 9-year-old Matthew, could care less about some of Noah's social awkwardness. Most BMXers like riding scooters as well. Matthew and Noah loved riding scooters together.
So that is what they did, almost every day. Noah would show up outside and pace back and forth on the sidewalk on his scooter, waiting for Matthew to come out and join him. I did have to set some early ground rules, like no foul language around my son, but Noah was up for the challenge. I think most people at this stage would worry about their neighbor being a "bad influence" on their kid. I have tried to raise my kids a little differently. I teach them that when other kids struggle with being "good" just focus on being the positive person in their life to influence them for good. Noah is not the first friend of Matthew's to be like this.
I believe Noah could see that I was trusting him with my son and that I was also believing in him to be a good person around Matthew. He would make comments to us about how he used to be a bad kid, but was better now. You should see today how
Noah goes out of his way to say positive things to Matthew.
Honestly, in my mind, I was choosing to treat Noah as if he was being adopted into our Family. I'm suspicious he doesn't have a male role model in his life. Noah and I have had many conversations, and I can tell he knows he is accepted by myself and Matthew.
In one message to me through Messenger, he shared how his therapist said he is mentally young and that is why he may not seem like he is 16. It is true of him, but I just had to laugh that he was sharing this with me. It felt good to know he was trusting me with something so vulnerable.
In a more recent Facebook post of his, he was back in Oregon with his mom and he shared how he was pretty down on himself. He felt like only his family puts up with him. I was glad that I was able to respond quickly and point out how much he means to Matthew and I.
I have no intention of ever giving up on Noah. I encourage my son to hang out with him when they can, in spite of the 7 year age gap. He technically lives in Oregon, but he continues to do regular visits to Spokane to stay with his Grandmother. Our house is the first place he comes to when he gets here.
I have so many other stories about Noah that I could share, but it would take up too much writing. The good news for me is that there are many unwritten stories yet to be discovered.
Romans 15:7 says: Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Colossians 4: 5-6 says: Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Circumstances in my life lately have helped me to face more of my personal brokenness. My marriage of 17 years is coming to an end. I'm finding myself leaning more on God than I have in years. I'm reminded more and more that God's love is unconditional. I want to make sure I'm sharing that with those around me.
My challenge to you is this: Take the risk to love a stranger that gets put in your life. Try to see them the way Jesus sees them. Accept them where they are at. Believe they can become something better and that God has a plan for them. God wants us to be the ones showing others his love and compassion.
Matt Orlob