A Drop In The Ocean

I picked her up at 1pm. She said she wasn't ready - she had to go to her friends house to get her birthday gift. After refusing a ride and telling me she'd be right back, I returned to my car, glad I parked in the shade, rolled down my windows and pulled out my book knowing full well it may be a while.

Ten minutes into the wait I decided I would wait for 20 minutes before leaving. At 15 minutes I checked my phone. At 19 minutes I drafted my text and at 20 minutes I sent it.

"Love you but cannot wait for you! Call me when you can and have a wonderful birthday!"

Make-your-own-Trader-Joe's-bouquet would have to wait. How much could I really expect from a freshly turned 16-year-old I hadn't spent quality time with in nearly three years? A lot had changed.

I turned on the car and made my usual two left turn exit from the neighborhood. On my second left I came head on with a group of teens I'd seen her greet down the street when she'd left the house. From a distance, I hadn't been able to tell if the greetings had been friendly or hostile, but she had joined them and turned the corner where I now discovered she had gone to fight another girl in the group.

I pulled up to a half circle of people around her, her jacket and weave now cooking on the asphalt under the Sunday sun. I rolled down the window and saw one or two teens I used to know quite well.

"My ride's here," I heard her say.

"You don't want to go again?"yelled a girl I'd never seen before.

"I already beat you once and my ride is here." She opened my passenger door and got in.

"You don't want to go again??" she yelled again, this time opening my passenger door before having it slammed shut. I slowly pulled off, watching an angry teenaged stranger begin to run after us before quickly accepting defeat.

"Am I dropping you back off at home or are you coming with me for a bit?" I had to ask multiple times for her to hear me over a pounding heart, laughter, and verbal decompressing of what had just taken place. "I'm coming with you" she finally answered.

I spent the next 40 minutes using my words to calm her storm. She laughed, she apologized, she defended herself, she was upset over her weave, she watched the video of her fight - wash, rinse, repeat.

We picked up flowers and a card to match her birthday outfit. I asked her a few questions. I assured her I only wanted to know how she was doing. She told me she doesn't have close friends. She asked me to write her a note on her birthday card. I encouraged her to make wise choices, talk to God, and google topical scriptures as a first step to getting in the Word. I prayed with her, dropped her off at her friend's house, waved to two familiar faces, and drove away.

A drop in the ocean praying it becomes a seed in good soil. In due time.