Today’s scripture: Romans 11:25-36 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Lynnette Pullen):
I think most people know what it feels like to be left out. In middle school, I was not in the “in crowd”. I was not trendy or cool at all. I was a bit of a loner and a dork. I mean, I had friends, but I really didn’t let too many people get to know me. My home life was so stressful that I think I spent most of my time trying to make it from day to day, but I remember the “in crowd”. How cool everyone was. Even the teachers seemed to favor them. I always secretly wanted to be a part of them.
I started to become friends with another outcast girl kind of like me. Let’s call her “Sarah”. She had a really rough home life, too. She was bullied even more than me. She was a brilliant and funny person, but poor. She could not afford even the simplest things in life. Her clothes were dirty, and she often had an offensive odor. However, I thought she was really nice, so we hung out anyway.
One day, one of the “cool girls” asked me if I wanted to hang with her and her friends at lunch that day. Now, lunch was the time that Sarah and I always hung out. We relied on each other for companionship. It was hard to sit alone in the cafeteria, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sit with the cool girls, even if for just a day, so I ditched Sarah. The “cool girls” and I talked about different boys we liked and who was dating who. They asked me why I hung out with Sarah all the time. I told them she was nice and they should leave her alone. They shrugged it off and said they wanted to give me a makeover. They took me to the bathroom, where they made up my face and changed my hair. One of them brought an extra skirt with her, which she had me try on. They made a huge deal about how pretty I looked. Then, one of them said “Hey, why don’t you go show that guy you like your new look?” I vehemently opposed, but before I knew it, they drug me out of the bathroom and straight to this guy I had a crush on. There was a dead silence when he saw me. He surveyed me from head to toe with an indescribable look on his face. Then, he and all of his friends burst into uproarious laughter. Horrified, I turned and looked at my new “friends”, who, too, were laughing. I ran out of the cafeteria and back into the bathroom. Crying, I wiped the makeup off my face and changed back into my clothes.
Later on, Sarah and I were on the bus. I was feeling humiliated and ashamed. She softly asked “You ok? They are so mean.” “No, and yes they are,” I responded. She just kept talking as though nothing happened, as though I never abandoned my friend at the drop of the hat to be part of the “in crowd”. I listened quietly, fully aware that I was not worthy of the grace and forgiveness she so readily gave to me. She went on to stand by my side for weeks after as the girls teased and laughed at me when they walked by. What a fierce friend she was.
When I read Romans 11:25-36, I thought about this incident. Sarah’s love and forgiveness reminds me of God’s forgiveness for us when we turn our backs. God fiercely and passionately loves us enough to remain loyal to us, even when we forsake God. There is no greater love than that.
Prayer for the day: Thank you, God, for your unswerving loyalty to me. Help me to be inclusive to others who feel left out. Teach me to be loyal to my friends in times of trial. Show me how to be relentlessly forgiving so that I may be a reflection of You. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.