Girl Fixing Fence Post
Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Deuteronomy 23:23 That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you volunterily vowed t the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.
Numbers 30:2 If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
A few weeks ago, I was feeling down, discouraged….and there really was no reason for me to be feeling this way. None. It was a month after Hurricane Florence, but I suffered almost no damage, and my neighborhood was in good shape. Many of the folks I knew were also dealing with MINOR issues, and few had major ones. But inexplicably I felt a pall, just down and awful. Yuck, and it made me feel selfish and ungrateful.
I was going to visit a neighbor, just ready to enter their porch, when I heard a car crash into something, continue on, and then something dragging and banging from the rear of the car. I spun around, at first seeking how to evaluate and help. As I watched a young woman ordered her son out of the car to pick up whatever was dragging, then wondered aloud what had caused the noise. It was very evident she had hit my garden posts which then dislodged her right wheel well. The staggered landscape timbers which had been pounded into the sand around mine and my neighbors’ gardens, forming one larger garden area, now lay strewn about the driveway.
The boy told his mother it was a big thing that had come off. She ordered him to hurry and pick it up and get back into the car.
At this point, I now came down the stairs, a little surprised she was not going to check for damages her car had caused; I called to her asking about the damage to the fence posts. She seemed totally unaware of any damage, but did get out of the vehicle, ordering her children to stay inside. I walked her back to the area, and showed her. She apologized and said she had not seen it as they were all looking at the beach from the road. (From my house on the road one cannot see the beach because the dunes are high, and thankfully they had held during Florence’s damage.)
I didn’t call her on her obvious fabrication, but indicating the fence told her it needed to be repaired. (At this time, both her children were out of the car and standing with us while we had this conversation. I admit to being bothered at the lie of looking at the ocean at when her car hit the property, but I also wanted her to take responsibility.)
She asked if it would cost money. I told her no, but it would cost a bit of time and labor as she would have to re-dig the posts and pack the sand back between the road and the garden. She asked if she could do it the next day, and I told her that would be fine. I only asked her first name, knew what the vehicle looked like, but purposely did not take down license number, cell number or anything.
A few neighbors came out as she and her children were driving off and asked what had transpired. They shook their heads learning I had not asked for any identification, clearly doubtful that she would not show up. But something had ‘prohibited’ me delving for more info.
I knew I WANTED her to honor her word. Yet, I doubted I would see her return, but was hopeful.
But the next afternoon, as I was leaving the house, she and her daughter (who was between 4-6 years old) were repairing the fence. She asked if she was doing it correctly since some of the posts looked like they were leaning. I assured her she was and as more sand was packed around it would get firm around the posts and thus lean less, as well as the rain packing down the sand over time.
I was so surprised and pleased, and told her so. What a wonderful example of showing her child how to act and behave, and the importance of keeping one’s word. She not only told her child proper behavior, but lived it, showed it, accepted responsibility for harm to someone’s property, and then came to make the repairs. It made me so thankful that she followed through, and also renewed my faith in others. Her act lifted that feeling of sadness and moroseness I’d been feeling.
Neighbors were also going by and told her they were pleased she had returned, and that she was teaching her daughter such a valuable lesson. I think God saw to it all. Her actions renewed me, helped lift the pall, and redeemed my faith in others.
Thank You, Lord, you always come through when I have some melancholy. Your bounty amazes me and ‘mybellaviews.’.
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