Help

Help
Jim Plains 11/10/2009

Could somebody lend me a ten-foot-pole, the kind with which one wouldn’t touch something?
Lisa was a bright, pretty sixteen-year-old, her boyfriend, Kevin, was about the same age, but he wasn’t bright. His father had two other children whom he overtly preferred.
When they were in their early teens Lisa thought Kevin was a way out of her sub-culture. But then she realized they would be a mismatch and that she would do better and get ahead faster without him. She wanted to be free of the relationship, but didn’t want to hurt him.
They were members of the young peoples’ group of our church and it is surprising that they were aware of my wife and me at all.
Lisa wanted some advice and asked if she could come out to our house Sunday afternoon. Those were wonderful sleepy “r and r” times for my wife and me, but we thought we could stay awake an hour for the young lady.
Her test scores had been good; she could go to the college of her choice. Kevin wasn’t going anywhere. She asked me what she should do.
The options were: 1. Kevin, or 2. a future.
No need to “halt between two opinions” as Elijah would say. IKi18:21
Everybody, including poor Kevin, knew the right answer. But I wasn’t going to stick my neck out, “Gosh, Lisa, have you prayed about this?” (That’s always a good cop-out.) I think you need to decide who you are and what you want to do with your life. Then you will know the right answer about you and Kevin.
Inevitably the next Sunday, Kevin, hurt and angry, asked me why I wanted to turn Lisa against him.
What she had told him was, “After talking to Mr. Plains. . .”

H E L P

Your kind offer of help was received,
My worry was greatly relieved.
For with all the know-how you'll bring
We can make short work of this thing.

But the work-space we'll have is quite small;
It's me, my life and that's all,
For our efforts to surely succeed,
No baggage, it's tools that we'll need.