Ouch…

It has been a hot ending to the month of September here on the Prairie. 

We got to see Joel play soccer in two games on Saturday and were thankful for a breeze that lessened the intensity of the sun. 

The temperature wasn’t the only thing that got heated and I had a front row seat to a sequence of events that continues to play in my mind. 

Our chairs were positioned near one of the goals, so I would say …. Hmmm… maybe 30 yard line if it were a football field. 

At one point, a boy from our team was having a foot war with a boy from the other team over the ball. As our player apprehended said ball and whipped his body around to carry it down the field, his elbow came up enough to catch the other boy in a sweeping motion that got his nose. 

Our player was a bit taller and he wasn’t raising his elbow to inflict a wound. It just happened in the scuffle of their bodies. That being said, the opponent experienced pain from it. Anyone who has taken a bop on the nose can relate the sting of pain that comes. 

He leaned over and held is nose and then came up looking for the call. There was none. The play was continuing down the field. He caught my eye as I was looking right at him and put his hands up. 

I looked to see if there was blood, but there was not. There was, however, a strong degree of indignation. He had been hurt, and in his mind, the other player should have had a penalty called but no one who mattered saw it. 

A short time later, in just about the same spot, these same two players once again tussled over the ball. As the ball was passed, the previously injured opponent took a full on swing and hit our player smack dab in the middle of his face. 

The result this time was quite different. Our player was bloodied, the officials did see it as did quite a few parents including the injured child’s mother. There was a scurry to get to her son, a run for ice and a trainer, a red card and a lot of incredulous parents and grandparents saying they couldn’t believe what they saw. 

First off, let’s keep in mind these are 9 and 10 year olds. While it is not ever okay to intentionally hit a person, it is important to examine what happened closely. Because we see it every day in the world around us and sometimes within our own story. 

An injury happens, pain is incurred, and no one sees it. The one who inflicted it seems to get away with it and there is a kind of self-righteous anger that brews under the surface. The injured one goes on about his play, nursing the wound and then when an opportunity arises he retaliates. 

Sad enough that this is our human bent, but often the retaliation is inflicted on someone who just reminds the victim of the perpetrator or the incident. 

This is one of the beautiful parts of a personal relationship with Jesus. When we “walk” with Him daily, we know He sees when someone’s elbow collides with our tender nose area. The fact that someone saw and cared would have made a huge difference for this kid, I am sure. 

It was the additional factor of the act being unseen that brought the anger to the incident. 

Such a good lesson for us to make it a point to acknowledge pain in others when we see it. When an injustice is done to someone, saying you see it is important. 

 When we are the one injured, it is crucial to know that Jesus sees our pain and understands. We can rest the injustices on His watch and let Him take care of us rather than taking care of things ourselves to even the score. 

Truly a gift of grace that we all need…to give and receive <3