To help a boy.

Those colored boxes are containers- the kind you see on Semi-Trucks. 50 years of industry and conservation success.

   It’s the 3rd event I was helping out at, a few days ago, and it was in the town of Singapore, speaking to a bunch of youth.  Before we started with the event, those of us who were free to, talked and hung out with some of the youth. Literally before the event started I sat down with a boy who looked very disinterested. As I sat there, kids piling in the room I asked him “What’s your name?” he simply put his head on his hands. I then asked him “What? Did you have a bad day at school or something?” I heard him say something to the effect of “Something like that” as he began to cry, trying to make the other kids not notice.

    As the kids piled in, I really couldn’t strike up a conversation because it was getting pretty loud in there, so I simply scribbled on a piece of paper “Hey- I need to go start the event with the team, but really want to talk to you later, ok?” and walked away.

    The team ministered, taught, and played movie clips, I was watching this boy… His countenance slowly changing over the course of an hour from a confused and upset boy to at least smiling, and as the students left after the event, I heard his voice far away on a balcony yelling “Tim!, Tim!- I’ll be in the canteen!” (lunchroom). I gave him a thumbs up and quickly ran inside to ask if it was appropriate and timely to meet him down there, it was, and I ran down the stairs to meet him.

    Walking through the crowds of people it was hard to see the short lad… but just like that he appeared randomly in the crowd and quietly asked “do you want something to drink?” I smiled and walked away with him in the lunchroom- He gave me a quick tour and paid for me to have a Dr. Pepper. He grabbed a root beer and we walked away talking.

    This boy spoke of moving from his home in America to Singapore a few years earlier, having troubles keeping friends, and being picked on. Oddly enough, I found we had a lot of the same history regarding those and emotional issues. In the short time I was with him, we were able to identify those issues and give quick guidance and encourage him.

    

    As we were driving away in the taxi, I saw the buy walking home, waving and smiling with a huge smile. Julie said “His countenance was glowing” and I dually attest to that. Driving away I couldn’t help but wonder what our next encounter would be like in a few days time…

===A FEW DAYS LATER===

"Maxi Cab"

   We pulled up to the school in a taxi again, and this time I quicky looked around and asked myself “How many more contacts and people can I impact today?” So we headed upstairs and began to set up for the day’s events.

   It was interesting as all the youth poured in, I looked at them all and wondered If God was going to touch them like God touched the boy through me. After all the students sat down, Julie started speaking and everyone on the team talked, giving their testimony and casting out wisdom and life, hoping that the students would get catch what was being thrown at them.   

   So it was my time to talk, and knew what I was going to talk about, and since the school’s basketball team was the “Knights” I knew that they all at least knew what a knight was. I continued speaking about my life story, and how encouragement has a huge role to play, how you should love God first, then love others. I spoke of my 6^th grade teeter totter experience, how I moved to Montana, with no friends, and no food because someone ate my lunch. It was in that moment I was crying, wondering when my life was going to be “normal” again. Someone walked up to the teeter totter, and sat down on the other side, sharing his lunch with me without saying a word.

(Stock Photo)

      While I was sharing this story with the group, I called out the boy by name and had him stand by me, I told the class I was a real knight, knighted by the prince of Greece.  The kids were impressed enough to listen to what I was about to say. I gave the boy next to me my necklace, engraved on it is the OSJ symbol I swore to wear, stated in the oath of a knight- and is just a symbol of what the character of a knight should be, the standard we live by. So I gave the boy the necklace and encouraged him as well as the youth listening that you can need to keep building the character you have in you, add to it, and you will be amazed where God takes you. “This kid and I have gone through a lot of the same stuff, but if you CHOOSE to run for God, amazing things will happen”

   

   After the event was over, I met the boy along with 8 other students who were curious about how the Knight thing happened, and now I simply say “Someone saw how I live, in public and private”.

Do you live honorable in public and private? It’s really difficult to live a double life, lying about being a worthy person and living a life of sin when you think no one is looking…

(Stock photo - William Wallace)

• Be real about your issues, public and private, then fight what is evil, and hold on to what is good.