It Takes One to Reach One

Baptism Day

Never one to miss a kindred spirit, Son #2 is always on the lookout for another metal head. I'll tell you the truth: I was a whole lot more comfortable with Son #1's love of all things classical. I've often asked God to explain what he was thinking when he decided to bring Isaac into my middle-aged life. I'm ready to sit in rocker and learn to knit old lady afghans. Here I am hauling a teenager to local rock concerts and trying to talk him out of navy blue hair. God really does have a sense of humor, doesn't he?

Trouble is, if you go looking for something, you usually find it. That means we end up spotting rocker dudes just about any place we go, including fast food joints. The minute Isaac saw the fella, he started to vibrate with animation. Before I knew it, he had sidled up and engaged the rocker dude in conversation. I sighed and shuddered. How was I gonna keep that kid from influencing my kid without looking like one of 'those' moms?

2011

Didn't take me long to get antsy and start to look for a way to disengage the two fellas. The southern charmer in me did not want to look rude. The mother in me wanted to scream, “UNCLEAN VIPER! Get away from my kid!” as I jerked my son to safety. Forget about Jesus eating with the publicans and sinners. I didn't want the supper crowd to connect my son to the incarnation of Alice Cooper's younger brother. Not then. Not ever. We weren't 'that' kind of people.

His hair was the length Son #2 aspired to. His clothes screamed rock star wanna be. His tattoos were enough to make me recoil in horror. The girl with him looked harmless enough. I looked closer and watched the interaction between the three of them. Why, oh why, did he have to want to hang out with Alice Cooper's younger brother?

Courtesy Mad Penguin Creative

And then, I remembered the morning God reduced me to tears as I poured my heart out to him. Oh. Yea. That tattooed rocker dude was never gonna give me the time of day. Nor I him. But, he'd talk to Son #2 all day long. They spoke the same language. Did I trust God to keep his promise or not? Hmmmm...the last few years, that's been a problem as we all know.

Not soon enough for me, Son #2 returned. We ate our supper while I chewed my tongue off to keep from launching another Spanish Inquisition. I managed to stave off the Q&A session until we got into the privacy of the car. Isaac knew the fella's name and the name of his band. He knew the couple came every Thursday night. What a coincidence. UGH. So do we most of the time. Great.

One meeting has become a few. I have watched the dance of friendship ensue. I admit, I am mesmerized because I see things I didn't see when all I could think of was shrinking away and pulling Son #2 away even faster. I see two lonely, disaffected young people hungry for the attention of anyone that will treat them as if they are anything other than unclean.

Courtesy Mad Penguin Creative

One recent Thursday night, my bold son told me about their interactions. After examining Aaron's lyrics, my son gently approached the subject of faith. “I hope you are not offended, but I have concluded from your lyrics that you are an atheist. Maybe I'm' wrong, but it seems that is what your lyrics suggest.”

Aaron, a dead wringer for Alice Cooper, replied, “I would say that right now I'm undecided. I'm searching.”

Then, my brave, brave Aspie explained his take on why the Bible is true and said, “I hope you make a decision soon, and I hope you decide that God is real.”

The little child shall lead them. And, if you give them half a chance, a teenager will too. We've begun to pray for Son #2, Aaron, and the girlfriend. This week, an old lady you know did the unimaginable. You know, 'that' mom. When Son #2 was otherwise occupied, I took a deep, hard gulp to get my pride down where it belonged. I approached the young couple feeling some sense of trepidation.

“Hello. I just wanted to thank you for so patiently engaging my son. He looks forward to seeing you every Thursday. In fact, sometimes we go elsewhere just so I know you guys are getting a break from him. If ever it's inconvenient, please feel free to tell him so.”

Courtesy Mad Penguin Creative

The young couple brightened and began to speak simultaneously assuring me that my rocker-dude-wanna-be was no trouble at all. “In fact,” the young lady said, “It's kinda nice. There aren't many people around here like us. He's really very sweet. He's no bother at all. We like seeing him.”

I could feel all the eyes in the place on me, the old lady, engaging these kids who were so out of place. In that moment, I heard it. The loneliness, the isolation, the fraidy cat that said they didn't belong much of anywhere. My heart broke as I bid them enjoy their meal and slipped away.

Courtesy Mad Penguin Creative

I eased the van out into traffic. “Son, let's pray for Aaron and his girlfriend. Let's pray for God to soften their heart to his voice. I hope you will live your life in such a way that they will want to know more about your faith. I'm proud of you for allowing God to use you to encourage folks like Aaron toward faith. People like Aaron need people like you...not people like me. But, I hope that I will become less like someone who judges them and more like someone they are glad to see.

Courtesy B. Creasy - 2010

Thursday night is coming. Now, there are two of us looking forward to seeing Alice Cooper's 'younger brother'. One of them is 'that' mother. But, she is hoping to be the mother they know looks forward to seeing them even tho' they are different. May God bless and honor my son's desire to reach out to them. Pray for him? It's a fraidy cat world out there, ya know. He might just make a difference one day.

John 4: 14

but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."