Childhood

D and I take a couples study and date night course once a month on the first Friday.

This past Friday there was an exercise that we were to do at home. We were to find a picture of our spouses' childhood and see how it might pertain to who they are now.

As we were discussing this in the class, D and I were trying to think of pics that we could remember from each other's childhood...he looks at me and says..."You and the fence"

Now I don't have a picture of this...thank goodness! But it's a story my brother likes to tell about our childhood. Not one of my prouder moments, but it actually gave me an ah ha moment. :)

You see, I am the oldest of 2, my brother is 4 yrs younger than me. When we were about 10 and 6 I guess, he had some friends that weren't always very nice to him. Well, I am the only person allowed to mess with my brother...right?! So on on particularly nasty occasion these boys were being mean to him, I witnessed it and had had enough... I chased them down and caught one near a fence, I picked him up by the neck, held him against the fence and told him in no uncertain terms to leave my brother alone. wooooo the violence! yikes... but these kids did leave my brother alone from then on out.

I am no longer a hold you against the fence kinda gal... I do know how to hold my temper much better than I did when I was 10yrs old. But my fire to help those that cannot hasn't diminished. In fact I think it burns brighter now than it did then. I just channel those feelings in a different manner.

I cannot look at the kids left behind and leave it alone. I cannot see the devastation and stay quiet. I cannot hear the stories about children that sold into slavery and sex trafficking and not try to stop it. I cannot see the pain of those that are left behind and turn my cheek.

There ARE times when I would like very much to put some people up to the fence...however that's not my call. It's God's. He will set them straight either here... or there...

So what about your childhood can you look back on and see in yourself today? Or are glad that you don't?