So you have 6 boys all the time - you and your husband do Youth Ministry for 10 years. And one day, after you've moved to the Burbs - you find feed stores are interesting. They have things like horse halters and wallaby. Then you find all the boys want to go to the Feed Store every time you need Dog Food. And eventually, living on a 3-acre pond, you find out in March the feed store sells Ducklings. For some outrageous price - something like $5 per duckling.
Pretty soon.
You are going to the feed store more to get your domesticated pets - Deer Corn. And the kids pile in the car with you. At feeding times - names of the ducks are known - and all feed the ducks Deer Corn from their hands.
These are Hand Raised Domesticated Duck Pets.
And in the adventure - you learn a wounded duck will improve with the protein found in dried cat food - this floats on the water and will be gobbled up. Baby duck food looks like cat litter and definitely is not - baby duck food - sold at the Feed Store!!! And ducks who are very little do well with fortified human cereal in a pinch. Not white bread. Ducks abhor french fries as fake food. Hmm.
One fine day you and Dee are driving down the street - your sons are in 3rd grade and 6th grade and and and - you find the 5th grader on the next street has two PVC pipes and is killing your duck named Captain Sam. You jump from an almost moving car and apprehend the fiend, who is taking two sprinkler pipes to try to decapitate your very confused duck. The 5th grader is absolutely terrified to be apprehended by a very angry adult while trying to kill a small animal and being caught red-handed. The angry adult captures the 2 PVC pipes, promises their 'Mother Will Be Called and We Will See What Good Use the PVC Pipes will be put to and if the Duck dies' - the world is going to arrive to find out 'Why.' And I then proceed to jump in the car and rush off to a Diocesan Meeting of Laity. (Where, now, we are very surprised to realize the Bishop with vim and zest has just died in his mid-80s of old age. Time is astonishing.)
Returning home, (back in the day) taking deep breaths the Mother of said fiend is called. Astonishingly - - - the Mother lies and defends every act of the child denying - all. Until the witness of the car is going to be produced. Utterly and completely - astonishing. My brother rings me and I tell him the whole story in panoramic detail with every grisly detail - saying, "And that's not all, it wasn't just the words of lying and denial by a parent, 'It was the way she said it." And as I pause to take a very heated breathe, my brother, the Assistant D.A., one of many in Dallas, says, "Right, right, right. Classic example of how to raise a criminal. See it all the time in the sentencing phase. You can stop convincing me now."
Enter the Biblical:
1 Kings 21
1 Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 And after this Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money." 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." 4 And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, "Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?" 6 And he said to her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.' And he answered, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'" 7 And Jezebel his wife said to him, "Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city.
9 And she wrote in the letters, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. 10 And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, 'You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death." 11 And the men of his city, the elders and the leaders who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, 12 they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. 13 And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned; he is dead." 15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead." 16 And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. 19 And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Have you killed and also taken possession?"' And you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood."'" 20 Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" He answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD.
21 Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. 22 And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel the LORD also said, 'The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.' 24 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat."
25 (There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. 26 He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the people of Israel.) 27 And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. 28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 "Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house."
Making you realize - The Word of the Lord is Mercy. Realizing -
the 5th grader fiend - is going to have the opportunity to be forgiven of God. And neighbors.
Ahab. Now we understand where this idea of privilege and entitlement comes from. "Our Dudley, Sugar-Sweetie, surely would never ever want a vineyard or to kill the duck with PVC Pipes." And when confronted with PVC pipes and the driver of the car witnesses - changes the words to - "Our Dudley, Sugar-Sweetie, was practicing stick waving and nowhere near the duck." Nunchucks? "Certainly." Certainly would kill a duck and weapons should be discouraged in the hands of 5th graders near domesticated pets. Dead pets bring the authorities. "Well - La Tea Da." And La tea da brings juv delinquency. Daddy is an attorney. Brother works for Federal Judge and is an Assistant DA. All PVC pipe is graciously said and shown, in time, to be removed from the home.
There is turning the other cheek and then there is community calling for standards of truth and mercy bringing peace to all.
We all bear responsibility in ethics. For a good reason. You don't want it to be your pet. You don't want it to be greater damage than a pet. Fortunately, we live in a time where people will speak up when gross injustice is done. I was told and found out the story of the Mother who would be so cruel as to raise her child to not have respect for others. And in mercy and truth, peace was found. Pets were saved. No harm came to other living beings. Don't duck out. Good Samaritans can be ducks. But don't duck out.
When we confront with honesty. When we are polite. When we are gracious and truthful. When all bear witness to the truth. Think of how far - we prevented harm. The child was then said to have been seen by the across-the-street-neighbor-additionally who said she would surely not want her child to be part of a group little boys, a naughty and wrongful death of a duck. The neighbor far down the street said this wasn't the first time and she spoke to the Mother of the PVC pipe 5th grader about honesty and the need to stop violence. The 5th grader was seen to become polite to adults. Making him a better grown up. Other pets were saved. And the mother realized that honesty is required in communities. The child and the child across the street had conversations about behavior and friendship. New Standards were obtained. Harm was avoided to other children.
The Good Samaritan is created by people who are gracious and honest. Allowing the child not to be subject to glares. Allowing the mother the time and dignity to respect others and be respected.
A team is established with compassion. And all rejoice.
Abba, Father God,
The Family of Believers is the Body of Christ. Asking You for a Blessing!
1 Timothy 4:12
Set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
Proverbs 16:9
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Hebrews 13:7
The word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (No Jeffrey Dahmer.)
John 13:13-17
You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Giving Mercy and Dignity.
Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
For all who jumped in to behave with truth and mercy.
Romans 12:8
The one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Remembering the Promises of God Himself to us every day. To our loved ones. The People He has given to our care and mercy. The communities, jobs, schools, continuing to the Nation. Blessing the nations who Trust in God. Surrounding our world with Christians gathering to rejoice in God Actively Answering Prayer. Daily. God is So Good.
Deuteronomy 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
And there's not any reason -- no, not the least--
Why I shouldn't be one too.
They lived not only in ages past,
There are hundreds of thousands still
The world is bright with the joyous saints
Who love to do Jesus' will
You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,
In church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea,
For the saints of God are folk just like me,
And I mean to be one too.
And in The Word of Father God Manifest, we say our Amen in His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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