Bad to Good

Monday of last week was a day of roller coaster emotions. It began very early in the morning when I received a phone call from an employee informing me of vandalism that had been perpetrated on the outside of the building over the weekend. Although I was disturbed by this news, I was in no way prepared for the gut wrenching disgust I would experience as I pulled in the driveway and saw the vile words and repulsive pictures spray painted on about three quarters of the outside walls, windows, and doors of our beautiful building.

I was on the phone with my husband as I caught the first glimpse and the obvious change in my voice alerted him to the serious nature of the vandalism without me even telling him what was written. He immediately hung up and called our church where he knew a crew of people were preparing breakfast for the Parkview High School teachers who were coming back to work that day. They promptly committed to collecting the necessary equipment and supplies to clean it off and within an hour were at the school scraping, scrubbing, and power washing in what was later to become an extremely hot day.

Teachers, administrators, and parents jumped in and covered the worst of the words and pictures with paper before the children got to school so they did not have to be exposed to it. Several whole families pitched in, got paint and supplies, and spent the day repainting places that couldn't be scrubbed off. By 6:00 that evening, every trace of this blaspheme was erased.

As I reflect on that stressful day, I am able to see Romans 8:28 come to life. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose." While getting students out of the cars that morning, I was told by several of them that they were going to pray for whoever had done it. I was told by the employee who discovered it that a high school student was the one who alerted her and he was deeply affected by this act. I was told by teachers of conversations they overheard among students who were disgusted and disturbed by this event. I was told about discussions that went on in classes that indicated attitudes and feelings of righteous anger as well as a new pride in their school.

The lessons learned from this experience cannot be taken from a book. No Bible lesson we could have planned could have made as big an impact as seeing first hand what a life separated from God will cause you to do and say. No chapel service could have inspired as much unity. No lecture could have caused as much grief. Thank you Jesus for taking something intended to be so hurtful and turning it into something so glorifying!