Whitnee's journey with Christ

It was the typical Friday afternoon; my boys were outside playing basketball, I was inside preparing things for the next day and writing down my grocery list, and just marveling over how relaxing and peaceful the day was. Then what felt like only a few minutes, things turned for what could have been the worse!

After the basketball game some of the fellas decided to play a little game by the name of “ding dong ditch.” Being aware of the current social climate, I am not fond of that game nor have I ever been. By this time the 10 o’clock hour was approaching and I knew it was time to bring it on for the night. Well let’s just say the fun wasn’t over for one of my boys so he decided to follow behind the crowd of boys who went to play the game.

While standing outside I asked William to go Emmanuel so we could go in the house. After seeing the group of boys knock on one or two doors I started to grow impatient because I could no longer see two of my children. So I did what any mother would do at this point; start walking down the street in search of my children.

A few seconds later I saw Emmanuel and William running down the street (approximately 9-10 houses down) so I continued walking towards them until we caught up with one another. I immediately started talking to Emmanuel and telling him the potential risks of his actions.

One back in the yard the boys and I got inside and I gave them a lecture that hopefully will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

I could tell by the look on William’s face that he thought I was being dramatic or over exaggerating but then the door bell rang and we heard a knock at door, it changed his attitude real quick!

Initially we thought it was the same group of boys playing ding dong ditch but to my surprise it wasn’t. It was one of the neighbors from up the street and two of her teenage children. She had come down to my house because she had an unsettling feeling in her chest and she said it could not wait until in the morning.

What happened next was just confirmation from God! She reiterated the same things I had just spoken to my children. The reality of what she was saying was heartfelt, welcomed, appreciated, yet alarming at the same time.

She told my boys (although only Micah came to the door- the other two were peaking out of the window looking at us) that although they were just having fun, the night could have ended tragically.

Like most people in my neighborhood no one expects a knock at door after a certain hour. So when and if they come to the door, nine times out of ten they come strapped with some type of protection in their hands because they never know the intentions of the person on the opposite side of the door.

We talked for about 45 minutes and it is something that our first real conversation or introduction besides a wave in passing or a quick good morning was to tell me “I could have shot on of your kids tonight.”

What had happened was this particular neighbor, who had just retired after being in the military for 38 years is new to Columbia and doesn’t have but two friends around, which whom neither of them would come to her house at this hour. She heard her doorbell ring and when she decided to open her door, there was no one standing there. She saw William and Emmanuel walking down the street so she came outside to ask if they had been the one to ring her doorbell. Frightened and shook not knowing what would happen next, she said Emmanuel replied “no ma’am it wasn’t me, it was the group of boys hiding in the bushes over there.” Obviously she saw the fear in their eyes so she let them go, and going back to what I was saying earlier, that’s when I saw them running down the street.

Had she not come down to my house, I’m sure that fine detail would have been left out of my children’s side of the story.

She told my boys she was strapped and had someone been on the other side of the door she might have pulled the trigger.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and began to thank God my boys had not been on the other side of her door. Instead of prepping for what I was cooking this weekend for dinner, I very much could have been planning two funerals.

Im so glad this particular neighbor came down to tell my boys that everyone would not have responded like her. You have some folks who shoot first and ask questions later. Being in the neighborhood longer than me she realizes that not everyone is fond of our skin color, some folks suffer from a mental illness, some folks are trigger happy, and some folks are anti-social and just looking for a reason to reck havoc in another persons life.

Although Emmanuel and William had not been the ones knocking and running on peoples door, because Emmanuel decided to follow behind the crowd he got caught up.

Lessons learned:

• Never play with people without being ready for the potential consequences.
• Never follow behind the “in crowd” even if you are called a baby, lame, boring, gay, or whatever harsh and cruel words people can call you.
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Dare to be different. Stand up for what you feel is right verses following behind someone else and going against your gut feelings.
• Realize that not all people are the same and not everyone thinks logically.
• Harsh reality, the color of your skin may determine if you live or die by the hands of someone in your community.

I’m happy my neighbor cared enough to come down and talk to my boys. I’m so happy that despite how late it was, she had an unsettling feeling in her chest that could not wait until the morning. I thank God that although Emmanuel thought it was okay to walk behind the crowd, he decided against knocking on folks door and running. I’m glad that they learned some lessons at an early age that can help them when they get older. I’m so thankful that though we had never spoken much before my neighbor treated my kids like she would have wanted her two children treated and she spoke up.

Just think this incident could save my children’s life one day. Though everything I had lectured them about came out initially like I was over exaggerating, it was received in love when fear crept in.

Moral of the story: use the common sense that God gives us- His Holy Spirit will be with us to help us navigate through life. Those gentle nudges that we feel subconsciously is God. No matter how young or old, we have receive those nudges. It’s always someone praying on our behalf: parents, elders, the church, family, friends, you name it.

That old saying “it takes a village to raise a child,” still stands til this day. It took a neighbor to make sense of what I’ve been telling my boys all along. Sometimes a “hard head makes a soft behind.” Maybe next time they will listen to me and take my advice without being in a compromising position.

All in all I thank God the village still exists. Special shout out to my neighbor who had the unsettling feeling and for taking the time to minister to my children. May God richly bless her and her family.

My prayer is that for those reading today’s message we will realize the wealth we have in our community, we will cherish and honor our elders, we will treat every child equal no matter the color of their skin, and we will help raise our children the way God would have them to go- so when he or she is grown they might stray, but will never depart from God.