No good deed...

...goes unpunished. Isn't that the saying? It has been on my mind for several weeks now.

I appreciate everyone taking the time to read the blog. Most of you know this is something I like to do. In the past, I have had several versions of web sites. This is the most recent iteration. And it’s a little easier to create. I might even add pictures at some point. But again, this is more to follow my path to a liver donation.

Why be punished? Is it a perception? If my liver donation is a good deed, then what would my punishment be? What about all those Boy Scouts? Perhaps we should get an anthropologist and study this more? Maybe it has been studied we just don't know the results. I sound like a year old at the museum. Why, why, why....

Christians are always wrestling with the concept of good and evil. God and the Satan. The holy Word doesn't say believers in Christ (as their Savior) will promise a perfect life. Actually, it is pretty well known that if you do follow Jesus and the teachings of the Bible, you will probably have a potentially very difficult life. Once you become powerful in the Lord, you will have many trials and tribulations to overcome. Of course you will not be alone. You are to lean on God, Jesus and the strength of the Holy Spirit to get you through these difficult times. It's your faith in God that will allow you to understand that you can make it.

But what about the punishment. All it takes is a compromise. God wants all of you. The devil only wants a part of you. The compromise. If you can compromise your relationship with your God. Then it puts doubt on your eternal afterlife.

My wife was coming home along a road that is heavily traveled, it’s very dark and cars drive fast with very little room for error. She drives by a boy walking this dangerous three mile county road.....
After an internal battle with right, wrong and concern (as a human and a parent) she turns around.
Driving back, she slows to a stop and asks if everything is okay. He sheepishly answers but tears stream down his eyes and his eyes show fear.
Being in such a bad location, she tells the boy to get in the car and she will take him to a safe spot. He obeys.
Driving to the baseball field parking lot, she begins a conversation with a "you should never get in a strangers car". He is all balled up with emotion, fear, possibly anger and isolation.

I look out the door and see two people. One is familiar, but the other is not. Who would be coming with her this late in the evening? His face is surprisingly young. He looks scared. Dirty clothes. They come inside. We introduce ourselves. It is literally like a rabbit in a box of dogs. He darts back and forth. Never making eye contact. Very difficult to understand.

We sit down, talk a little football. Try to make things more comfortable. His hands are filthy. His clothes are nice looking but they look like he rolled down a dirt mound. Tears stain his face with clean stripes as his eyes are red.

The kids learn his name and a little about him. We don't welcome him with open arms ala “me casa su casa”, but we are concerned with is well being. Offers of food and drink are politely declined.

My wife gets enough information from him to find out he came from his mom's boyfriend’s mother’s house. Which was, from his perspective, not a good place and he doesn't want to go back.

After several calls to phone numbers that end in a hang up there was finally a connection to the girlfriend of the brother of our young guest. Through the conversation, there was little or no concern by them that he had run away from a house he was supposed to have been safe and secure. It caused some grief to us as well. That that there really are families (sic) that have so little concern for each other. It is truly a foreign concept to us. We hear stories and have some (SOME) knowledge that there are family spats but this lack of care is leaving us with an awful taste.

I offer choices. Back to where he ran from. We could take him home (his choice). Then an offer to call to a close grandparent resulted in even more tears. I also breached the potential of bringing in a police officer almost put him on the lam again.

Quickly I retreated to something more calming like the Broncos v Raiders game on the TV.

After about an hour of little to no contact with his family. I decided that to protect ourselves, we really had to bring in better resources. I went down to the police department and talked with an officer. He said to call 911 to create a case reference and they will be dispatched to our house. It was a very troubling time for me. This boy was obviously scared. In a strangers house and very soon, two police officers are coming to take him away. We were VERY concerned with how this was going to be taken.

The officers came in through the kitchen and walked through the short narrow hallway. He saw them as soon as they entered the kitchen. Fear was apparent. I am sure he was thinking of running again. But what door. Where would he go. Would they chase him. Am I going to jail?

Very calmly they introduced themselves. Officer Mike and Officer Lief (I think). Officer Mike has been around for a while. Very nice guy. Officer Lief is the proverbial new guy. Less than a month I believe.

After getting some info, a cell phone rings. It’s the mother returning a call to my wife’s phone. Other than the short version of the story about how we found her son, I am not sure what words were passed between the two mothers. But eventually the phone went to Officer Mike and he quickly wanted to continue the conversation outside for the young ears may not like what he had to say.

Several minutes later, returning to the living room, he passed the phone to our young guest. He talked and mumbled then cried and passed the phone back. Apparently he will be going back to whence he come. My wife and I were very concerned and quickly voiced that concern to the officer.

As he was walking out with the two officers, I offered him a hug. Sheepishly, he accepted. They went off into the dark night. Two came in, three went out.

Today, only a night has passed. But we wonder about his well being. Did he get greeted with acceptance or was there fear and hatred when he returned to his temporary quarters? We may never know.

…..never goes unpunished. Perhaps it’s not knowing if you did the right thing.