The Righteous are Bold as a Lion...

I am very proud of my mother. I find myself bragging about her often and readily agreeing and confirming many comments made regularly about her by women who admire her (and adding my own comments to theirs!). There couldn't be a better friend and role model in the world than my mother!

Marvin and I found ourselves in a situation recently that reminded me of my mother's boldness as a believer. One of the things that Marvin does regularly as part of his work routine is buy and haul cement to the project to distribute among the contractors who are building the Canadian homes. I am Marvin's faithful companion--even to work! I could have never dreamed of marrying someone who i could go to work with (when i want to...) But it really is wonderful. One thing that really bothered me about buying the cement at this particular place though was this cement wall that we have to park by as the cement is loaded into the truck. This wall was filled with inappropriate newspaper clippings and posters of women in their bras and underwear--or more frankly, to call it what it really is, pornography. Marvin hadn't ever noticed it because he is always outside of the car supervising and counting the bags of cement to make sure everything is right, but I just sit in the car every week and wait beside this wall until the cement is loaded, and these pictures were really offending me! At first I would just look the other way, but as this is a weekly activity for us, it started to bother me more and more, and I kept remembering my mother!! I have more than one memory of being at stores with her when she would suddenly realize that the music playing was absolutely offensive. While this is normal occurrence nowadays at stores, I can remember more than once my mother asking to speak to the managers of these stores and explaining to them that the music was very offensive to her and very inappropriate and asking them if they would please change it. I have to admit that, at the time, sometimes this was a little embarrassing to me. I remember pretending to shop and looking the other way as my mom confronted these people. But maybe I am more like her than it appears. These memories of her started popping into my head, and suddenly it just came to me a couple weeks ago as i waited in the car besides this wall that that's exactly what WE needed to do. So when Marvin got into the car and we had driven away, I brought up the situation to him and suggested that we, as weekly and faithful clients, ask that they please take down those pictures! I really felt like that's what the Lord was leading us to do, and Marvin was in total agreement. So the next time we made our stop at this store, while Marvin was inside paying for the cement, he asked who was the owner or manager, and the women who he pays the bill to every week said that she was. And Marvin explained to her that those posters were very offensive to us and asked her if they could be taken down. Surprised, (but to be honest, I think happy as well), this woman readily agreed and said that the men working for her had put these pictures up, but agreed that it was time for them to come down. Last time we made our weekly stop at this store, I can't begin to tell you how excited Marvin and I were to see that same cement wall bare and clean. Praise the Lord! And I have been reminded by my mom's example that while we are called as believers to love those around us with all our hearts, we are not called to a passive acceptance of the sin around us that can so readily entangle us.

Proverbs 28:1 says: "The righteous are as bold as a lion." My prayer is that the Lord would continue to work in me and make me as bold as a lion, and I thank Him for the people He has placed in my life who are just that!