Kohtaamisia

Satuin rattaiden ja pienen pojan kanssa samaan hissiin kuin nuori mies - vaikea arvioida ikää, ehkä 15-vuotias - ja tummmaihoinen musliminainen. Nuori mies siinä höpötti jotakin, sanoi, että tilaa on kun kaksi jäi hissin ovien ulkopuolelle, puhui omiaan sen verran, että huomasi, ettei ihan keskivertokansalainen liene.

Hissistä poistuttuaan alkoi melkoisen värikästä kieltä käyttäen jollekin jotakin huudella - siis ei kuitenkaan oikeasti ihmisille vaan itsekseen manailla jotakin asiaa.

Myöhemmin samainen nuori mies tuli taas näköpiiriin kävellen rivakasti ja huudellen perässä kulkeville vartijoille, etteivät seuraisi häntä ja jättäisivät rauhaan.

Ja vielä kolmannen kerran törmäsimme saman hissin luona, kun kaksi poliisia sanoivat tulevansa hänen mukaansa sinne, mistä joku (hänen tuttunsa) oli tulossa häntä hakemaan.

En tiedä tarinaa nuoren miehen takana. En tiedä hänen kuntoaan, diagnoosiaan, vaarallisuuttaan taikka oliko hän kenties luvattomilla teillä. Enkä tiedä mitä tapahtui niinä hetkinä, jolloin emme olleet näkö- tai kuuloetäisyydellä.

Mutta jäin miettimään: kuinka paljon yhteiskuntamme hyväksyy ja kuinka paljon vain haluaa siirtää piiloon kaiken, mikä ei ole jonkun mielestä mieluisaa.

Mutta jäin miettimään.

A sweet moment

I was in the kitchen when the 5-year-old girl came and said: "Mum, I want to whisper something." She did. She told, teary eyed: " Once, when you were reading the Tinker Bell book with big sister in the living room, I took a candy and ate it."

My heart was bursting from an enormous amount of love. This sweet little girl had done something she knew she shouldn't have done, and all of a sudden, in the middle of the play, she decided to come and tell it. I told her how proud I was that she was so brave and courageous to come and tell it. And how I understood that it must have bothered her for quite a long time (some weeks perhaps). There was absolutely no need for even telling her she had done wrong or talk anything about the action itself. I just loved her, and showed it.

I think that's how it's going to be one day when we meet the Saviour, when we're repentant. Just a moment full of love and bonding.

Emotional rollercoaster

That's what you get when you have children.

I was reading a book which has a line on the book cover: "Hell is not knowing how to save your child."

I believe that to be true.

Yesterday we had agreed to pick up the 7-year-old from school. She was supposed to wait for us in a certain place, next to the parking lot, because we would get there a few minutes after the bell rings.

We get there and I cannot see the girl anywhere. I get up, walk around the school yard, try to look very carefully, but cannot find her. Ask the brother if he's seen her, which he hadn't. Once before in a similar situation she had forgotten and started walking home. So we drive to the next place where she might have thought we were supposed to meet. Not seeing her, but a friend with a mother, who tells that daughter did tell them she was going to be picked up. Driving back to school, still no sign of the girl. Walking around the school yard, checking all the places I could think of, inside the school house also. No sign of the girl...

For 40 minutes we drove around checking the places she would be walking if she had eventually decided to start walking home. I could not see where else she could be. Well, I was worried of course. All these warnings received from school about a black vehicle trying to catch kids by telling their parents had had an accident. I was a bit panicked for not being able to find her. All those things you think that might have happened. Even in this land of peace and quiet. Finally my phone rang and someone phoned from school. In two minutes I had the sobbing girl in my arms.

So what had happened? All this time she had been hiding on the school premises, near the parking lot, in a bush. I really cannot understand how she had not seen me on those more than two occasions I was walking around the school yard.

Why had she been hiding? Because she was afraid the teachers would be yelling at her to get inside if the bell rang before I came. Brother has confirmed that some of the teachers really yell and are horrible. But still. I would not have ever thought about looking into a bush.

She sat on my lap for a long time when we got home. We had a very good talk and things are ok. I believe, as she says, that the reason for hiding is what she said. No bullying or anything involved by other parties. But it was shocking to realize, that really, you can never know what happens. No matter how well prepared you think you are. And if things had been worse, hell is not knowing how to save your child.

This child is getting a phone as soon as possible and using her brother's until then.

Praying

Recently I've been praying for a friend with a challenge. This made me think of all the other times I've been praying for other people. Often so that they haven't known about it. There have been occassions I have prayed for a very specific things to happen and they have happend exactly as I've asked. Sometimes even some quite big things.

Not mentioning this to say that my prayers work. But it has made me wonder and be grateful for all those people who pray and have prayed for me. I am certain there have been times in my life when I've thought how nicely things work out or how the timing of some things have just been perfect. And it hasn't been just coincidence or the natural course of things, but due to the fact that someone has been praying for me, perhaps very specifically.

I believe that especially the prayers of parents affect our lives very much. Even sometimes when the parents claim they don't believe in God.