The Conversation

            Sharla was 28. She was a volunteer at her local elementary school, where she mentored a young, fifth-grade student named “Brandy.”  One day, Sharla’s principal summoned her to his office. There was a problem.

            Fulfilling her commitment, Sharla had been arriving at the school each week to eat lunch with Brandy and her friends, and then to share with them a number of activities, including recess.

            Brandy and her friends enjoyed this time. They would pepper Sharla with questions about her life, her friends, and a host of other topics.

            One day, Brandy asked Sharla, “Do you have a boyfriend?"

            Sharla smiled and informed Brandy that she did not.

            Then Brandy asked Sharla, "If you did, would you live with him?"            

            Sharla informed Brandy she would not.

              That confused Brandy. She wanted to know why Sharla would not. After all, every girl who had a boyfriend lived with him.

            That was the moment Sharla knew she had to tread carefully. The elementary school had a curriculum that emphasized "healthy choices."

            Consequently, Sharla gently let Brandy know that not every girl lived with her boyfriend. She had made a choice for herself. Brandy wanted to know more.

            Again, choosing her words carefully, Sharla explained that she tried to make her choices according to what she understood the Bible to say. She was not trying to judge other people’s choices; she was simply seeking to communicate the reasons for her choice.

            What Sharla failed to realize was she had crossed a line. Brandy reported to a friend their conversation. That friend told her mother. That mother called the principal, complaining that Sharla was lecturing schoolgirls about living with men.

            At that point, it was Sharla’s turn to be lectured. The principal called Sharla into his office. He advised her that the conversation with Brandy was inappropriate: healthy choices don’t necessarily include refraining from living with men.

            Want to guess where this conversation occurred?

            California?

            Massachusetts?

            No. Texas.

            My purpose is not to foment fear; rather, it is to recognize what is more and more becoming our reality. Rapidly, we are finding common ground with the Christians in Hebrews:

            All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth (Heb. 11:13.) NIV 1984