Not So Quiet

This post really isn't a quiet musing. It's more of an angry I want to scream because I don't know what to do post. I'll work through this backward.

Happily, both my children were born in the spring so in the early days of June, I walked with H and newborn K to the park near our house in Des Moines. It was our first trip to the park with just the three of us. I brought just the essentials: snacks, sippy for H, sun hats, diapers, wipes and an emergency change of clothing. Usually I keep my wallet in the daiper bag, but that day I remember thinking, it's safer at home. School wasn't out yet so the park was empty. Gleeful at the opportunity to play outside H (2-years at the time), wanted help on the monkeybars. I put K on a blanket nearby and started to help. A teenage boy rode by on his bicycle. He rode by again a few minutes later. I noticed him. Based on his looks, I stereotyped him to be a dropout thug. Then I berated myself for being judgemental. I went to catch H on the slide. Teenager on bike rode by again, slowed down, swiped my diaper bag and sped away. Knowing H would scream if her mother ran AWAY from her without catching her, I ran after that boy, screaming "Hey, that's just a diaper bag, there is nothing in there you want, look through it." I ran after him all the way to the corner and then told some men hanging out on there porch that that boy had taken my bag. Wanting to be heroic, ten African refugees jumped in their car and chased him. It would have been comical, if I wasn't in the story, I ran back to my screaming, bewildered H and obilvious K feeling terrible for abadoning them. There is a long list of reasons why running after the biker wasn't smart, but it felt good. I did't just stand there. The men never did find the boy, probably they didn't really even know who they were looking for, but we found our abadoned diaper bag and all its contents less than a block from the park.

Ignored is a rough town. We knew that when chose to live here. It is a town that needs help, love, Christ. I have come to expect violent, head-shaking crimes that hurt my heart and ridiculous ones like stealing the newly planted flower baskets from the bridges. Yet, I still read about them because they affect the people in this town. The crime this past Sunday though makes me want to chase down a criminal and beat him to an inch of his life. At 6 pm, a group of kids were playing on a corner, about a dozen of them ranging in age from 3-14. I don't know where the parents were, they may or may have been nearby. Doesn't matter. The kids were bouncing basketballs. A car drove by, shot 3-4 times into the group and drove away. A twelve year old boy was killed. His name was Quintae, he was being raised by his grandparents. He was a star student. The best math student his teacher,a 14-year veteran, had ever had. Witnesses can't even agree on what the car looks like. I suspect people are hiding facts, scared to be the rat. There isn't even a lead for the killer. I hate sitting here, God. I know this simmering anger is righteous. David regularly asked you in Psalms to deliver him from his enemies. I think this town has enemies. Deliver us Lord.