John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Today was an interesting day to say the least. Similar to last Friday, today we were inundated with school field trips, which meant countless children (and adults) failing to follow the rules of keeping their hands out of the tanks, but also a bit of inappropriate and rude catcalls from some older boys. Since we were leaving this afternoon, we decided that only one of us would dig holes in the sand as to keep the dirty laundry to a minimum and I was happy to do the work. So as I am on my hands and knees digging holes the length of my arm, these boys seemed to enjoy the show and were happy to let me know. It was pretty easy at first to ignore them and just chalk it up to boys being boys, but after a while I had had enough. I think what bothered me more than anything was that the chaperones didn’t seem to think this was a problem and this was all done in front of my 11 year old daughter. I attempted to ask them to leave using exaggerated gestures but it seemed to get lost in translation (or they just didn’t care). I tried to ask Madu, the staff person, to help remove the boys from the area, but the language barrier proved to be a problem (I am confident that he just didn’t know what I was saying or asking him to do). So plan B, I had David get Jeff so he could stand in front of me to block their view. I was not about to leave my job unfinished because of these kids, but I was also getting sick of listening to them.
Nonetheless, it was also a great opportunity to rise above the disrespect and rudeness of these kids to finish the job that Christ led me to complete. I was able to talk with Anjali about how inappropriate their actions were and that it was okay to ask for help, just as I did by having Jeff come stand between me and the culprits. Anjali tried to play it off like it was no big deal, which in reality it wasn’t, but I wanted her to see that it is okay to stand up for yourself and it is important to ask for help when you need it. I needed Jeff there to shield me because I had work to finish and couldn’t abandon my responsibilities. Once I finished clearing the nests, all was well and that group of kids left and was replaced by younger and more respectful children.
I definitely did not appreciate the behavior of these boys, but I will say that because of Christ they are not condemned, rather, they have just been misguided, but as with all sin they will also be forgiven, by me and more importantly by Christ. They are still my brothers in Christ and just like any good family, we all get pissed at each from time to time and make mistakes. I am definitely not perfect in my life and definitely have my fair share of sin, but Christ made it possible for me to be forgiven and I know they will be too. I am so grateful and thankful for the sacrifices that God has made on my behalf, as well as the rest of my family. I am grateful that this journey has shown me that my family is more than just my husband, kids, parents, etc. but rather my family is everyone I meet; we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and we are all saved through Him.
After lunch we said our goodbyes to all creatures, turtles and humans, and headed for Colombo.
Once we got to the hotel, the kids got settled watching movies while Jeff and I headed to grab some wine and a few snacks. After the kids went to bed, Jeff and I enjoyed a nice meal “out” (aka: downstairs in the lobby), but it was so nice to have a bit of a date night.
Sara's Daily Scripture and Journal 