Escort service....

Ever thought about being an escort? No? I was an escort recently. Well I was a part of an escort ride, something that some of the Harley Davidson riders in town do on Sunday afternoons.

 I had learned through a friend that the mothers of some young men, departing the central valley of California for the United States Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego, were in need of needed some moms to support them as they bid their children farewell. I understand that, having been through the process of letting go of a child choosing military service,  I understand too well the fear of the unknown, the sense of loss, the finality of that last "Goodbye,Mom".  I also understand the pride, that sense of my boy becoming part of something much bigger than the little family which stood around with tears in their eyes trying to say good bye.

So I got on the bike with my husband, adjusted my helmet and rode to the Marine recruiting office. There were dozens of bikes assembled there when we arrived. Some had little American flags attached, some were dressed with stickers and other patriotic decor.  Our bike is not decorated, but we wear a love for America deep in our hearts. We hold a deep appreciation, too for those who serve in the various military branches.

As the time to depart drew near, we riders gathered to share a few encouraging words with the recruits and their families. The moms, wives and sisters were teary eyed, and the dads and brothers stood a bit taller, working to control their emotions as we reminded the young men and women that we were grateful indeed for their service to our nation. We offered them a prayer of blessing, asking God to protect them.

Then it was time for individual words with each of the young recruits. I stood in a long line, waiting my turn.  A guy in front of me was behaving in a manner that disturbed me as he clearly had only his own interest and folly in mind when he told a recruit, "Don't give 'em anything you don't have to!" and walked away with a sneer on his face, apparently satisifed to get in a dig at the Marines for whatever he had endured in his own time in the service.

Then it was my turn. I have no military experience except the vicarous one through my son's eyes, and memories of the Vietnamese war years when I sold POW/MIA bracelets as an act of support for my country.  Taking  the hand of a tall, slender young man with coffee colored skin, I gazed solomnly into the deep brown eyes of the first recruit and said, "Call your mother. She will be counting the minutes until you do. Step up and serve wherever you find opportunity. The world needs more people like you who want to give to this great nation. Serve well, and finish well whatever you start."  My throat was tight as I pulled him close and gave him a long tight hug. "Go with God, my friend."  Releasing him from my arms, I turned to his mom, who was struggling to maintain composure, "He will come home to you. He will!  I know this is frightening, because I said good bye to my own son just like you are doing now. Do not fear. Your boy will be home again, and the difference will be that he will return a man. Be proud of him. I will pray for you."  With this I hugged her long and gently, and she held on tight and sobbed quietly.

Letting go of our children is not easy, weather sending them off to college, or whatever brings about their first departure from home.  Those who say farewell to children who opt to spend time in military service should recognize that their child is displaying a great deal of bravery and maturity.

When we had finished blessing and encouraging, bikes were started, riders fell in line behind the military vehicle which we followed, two bikes at a time, out of town and south on interstate 5.  At the base of the Grapevine, near the county line, the military vehicle slowed to allow all bike riders to slip past. As my husband and I pulled past the recruit's car, I turned, waved solomny and offered a "thank you" sign, touching one palm to my chin and downward toward my chest.  The recruit I had spoken to smiled softly through the car window, returning a small wave.

It will aways be my great honor to be this kind of escort.

To Save a Life

For Jake Taylor, life seems easy: everybody likes him, he is athletically gifted, good looking. He has a basketball scholarship, a hot girlfriend and a bright future.  Jake has the appearance of a perfect life.   But privately, Jake is struggling: his parents struggle with disappointments in their relationship, his mother makes excuses for her husband’s bad behavior and his father shows a lack of character reflected in marital infidelity and a focus on worldly ideals. 

Jake has mirrored his father’s lack of character in his dealing with Roger Dawson.  Roger is Jake’s childhood pal who gave his all for his friend.  But in high school everything changes, and Jake chooses his own growing popularity over his old friendship. Tired of rejection and having no place to belong, Roger walks onto his high school campus one day with a gun in his pocket: his pain-filled heart the impetus for a tragic event.

Jake is devastated by Roger’s action.  As Jake seeks to reconcile his choices with the decision Roger made, he finds himself deeply compelled to reach out to God, and to the kids on the fringe – the social outcasts. The decision threatens Jake's world. His desire to find meaning in his life could cost him dearly. Jake has to decide what really matters in his life.

“To Save a Life” could have been considered melodrama forty years ago, but today’s teenager faces these kinds of challenges and worse week in and week out on high school campuses across America.  Dealing with the struggle of climbing the social ladder while enduring hormonal changes, conflict and moral dilemma on a daily basis, high school kids worry as much about if they will graduate as they do about what they will do if they manage to make it through the next four years.  Jake and his friends are everyday kids in today’s world, and their struggles are magnified by the typical lack of a moral compass at home, forcing them to seek each other’s opinions for approval rather than the example of parents or the Word of the God who created them.  

When the film was viewed recently at Heritage Bible Church by the youth, it struck a chord with students and parents alike. One dad was observed weeping as he watched the portrayal of Roger being rejected by his peers.  Another parent, Susan, said, “A key part of the movie for me was how Christians were not portrayed as perfect, hypocrisy in the church was evident, but because he was searching, God touched Jake and helped him see past that and try to do the right thing despite the mixed message.”  Katherine, another mom who watched the flick, mused, “We should be more attentive to the person who is the outcast….as Christians, there should be no outcasts in our (community).”  

“I wasn’t sure anyone else felt like I do.” Stated Leah, a student who watched the video and was relieved to relate to and be understood by the characters in To Save a Life.  Its human nature to want to be liked, and countercultural to choose to be inclusive of all people.  But as much as Jesus was counter cultural, and we are called to be like him, we must find ways to ramp up the welcome to all who come seeking after a place of safety and loving kindness. To Save a Life points a glaring spotlight on our weakness as a body of believers when we do not offer this basic response to human need.  Utilizing this media to teach and convey the message, perhaps we can get steps closer to growing a church where the love of God is so evident, so palpable, that people can’t help but feel the love and want to step up and join us on the journey.