Hard Lessons Learned

It's been a busy week.  One of my Frozen Yogurt Thursday friends texted me early this morning.  "What?",  says I, "It's Thursday already???"  Oh dear.  I know all of you have had weeks like that.

We left Edmond Saturday afternoon after a quilting class and headed to Abilene (ultimate destination Odessa, because it's spectacular).  It was then that Kami (one of our awesome daughter-in-laws) mentioned the Penn State event.  Friday had been so busy that I only heard the broadcasters mention Penn State.  I just figured it was another round of the regular NCAA violations drama unfolding - with Penn State being the new target.  It wasn't until Tuesday evening driving home that I finally heard the whole story.  Mike will testify that the more I heard the quieter I became -- heading back to never never land.

That 2007 year?  You know, the one I'm always mentioning?  My co-workers and I learned a lot of hard lessons that year.  And to clarify - we followed the letter of the law.  We did everything and more regarding policy, expectations, and legal ramifications.  CPS and law enforcement were brought in early on, and we worked diligently with both agencies.  I would like to share with you some of the lessons we learned in hopes that if you ever find yourself facing anything similar you'll have an idea of what needs to be done.

Lesson One:  When you are around a group of people everyday, all day long, you start seeing what you expect to see.  You don't notice different nuances, attitudes, etc.  It's like being around someone who is slowly but surely gaining weight but when you look at them? they are the same size as always.  (I know, bad example, but you know what I mean.)

Lesson Two:  When you're in the situation of Lesson One and someone outside the group comes in and hangs out for a while then pulls you aside with concerns about what they see?  LISTEN and investigate. Their perspective is extremely valuable and usually right on the money.

Lesson Three:  When kids start talking about something, and they bring it up over and over? LISTEN and investigate.  More than once I've been told something and have then followed up on it.  Investigations were completed, etc. and nothing concrete could be determined.  But - when the 'story' refuses to die?  (and this can go on for days or even months)  It's time to get the big guns out and get down and dirty.  Every time a story wouldn't go away -- it was happening -- even when it was the most ridiculous story of all. And I'm not talking about someone just 'reporting' something -- I'm talking about casual conversations and little snippets that you hear when no one has their 'guard' up.

Lesson Four:  When you have six people doing the work of twelve things happen that shouldn't.  Especially when two of the six have traumatic life experiences outside of work with which they are dealing.  Exhaustion does not bode well for those in someone else's care.  If you know those who work for an agency, and they are on the edge because of work hours or work load would you be brave enough to be an advocate for them?  See Lesson Two.

After reading the timeline provided by CBS Sports and the Grand Jury report I am appalled. I am angry.  Paterno, McQueary, and Spanier should never have been allowed back onto the campus when this story broke. There were lots of people who knew what Sandusky was doing, and they chose not to act.  God help them.

Please be an advocate for your children, and not only yours, but others who may not have an adult in their life who is on top of things.  Be persistent.  Be an adult - a responsible adult.  Don't bury your head in the sand.  So far we have nine victims.  Trust me, before it's all over there will be many more.  And it could have been stopped over ten years ago.  If only they had followed the letter of the law.

By the way, NCAA violations sound like a walk in the park.  Yes?

Failure Isn't Final

I've been a little quiet on the western front lately.  Has anyone noticed?  Probably not. I've been hiding/mourning since my Texas Rangers let a World Series title slip through their fingers because they couldn't get one strike - twice.  Oh, the disappointment of it all.  Oh, the SHAME of it all.  So much so that I couldn't bring myself to watch Friday night, and I haven't listened to any of my usual sports venues since.  Sports have ceased to exist at my house.

Overreacting you say?  Fair weather fan you say?  Perhaps.  Except that I still have a closet full of Ranger gear, and eventually the pain of losing will fade.  And my boasting will remain silent for a time, but then they'll do spectacular again, and I'll have to be ridiculous. 'Tis the way of the sports world.

You've heard the saying, "Christians shoot their wounded."  Right?  And like you I can remember specific incidents in which that has happened.  We do so like our rules and regulations - and that grace word?  - well, surely you know that if you break one of the many 'laws' (spoken or unspoken) it no longer applies to you?  And we know that because . . . . what?  You mean scripture doesn't back that up?  As one of Jason's classmates at HSU once said,  "Well, I disagree with Paul here . . ."  (really, a classmate did say that)

Anybody ever read the story of David?  Yep, I'm back to 2 Samuel.  David was such a good boy in 1 Samuel.  And then his tiara got a little tarnished.

It was spring, and he didn't want to play war.  So he ended up with Bathsheba.  And it went downhill from there.  He committed adultery, he betrayed one of his longtime friends, he used others to do his dirty work, he committed murder, and he was an absent father.  And those are just some of the things we read about in scripture.  I mean, he may not have used the KJV exclusively, and he probably liked contemporary music.  The horror of it all.

And yet at the end of David's life we see that he has been front and center in his kingdom. He's made preparation for the building of the temple, he exhorts, he encourages, he challenges . . .  At his death there is no mention of his sin -- only his length of tenure, where he reigned, and that he died at a ripe old age.  And in other places he is called 'a man after God's own heart.'   Repentance.  Grace.  A life celebrated.

God's forgiveness is real.  And if God can forgive what is our problem?  It says to me that we have set ourselves up as god.  Blasphemy in its purest form.

Failure isn't final.  The Bible tells me so.