The Junior

Two years ago, I took a freshman class. One of my classmates was a young woman who occasionally worked on her homework in the department lounge. The class was a challenge to me, so I liked it.

One day, she was working on the homework, and I expressed having difficulty figuring out how to do it. She showed me how she did it. It was slightly different than how the professor taught us but I think the process worked the same.

After class, I would occasionally see her, but we didn’t really have much to say to one another.  A casual “hi,” perhaps.

Last fall, her sophomore year, she was introduced as being in charge of a department function. However, when she was introduced, it was with a guy’s name, not the name I knew from the past year. I will now refer to this person as Frank.

This bothered me, not because I thought I should control what Frank did, but because I wanted to understand the trauma Frank experienced to push Frank into making this change and to help if I could. I even spoke to Patrick about my dilemma.

I’m torn because I want to reach out to this young person and offer to listen. Unfortunately, our friendship didn’t develop beyond the casual classmate status.

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” - Matthew 7:1-6 ESV

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” - Romans 14:1-12

I have to remind myself that it isn’t my job to fix anyone else. I cannot fix myself without God. 

I can tell you, if Frank ever reaches out to me and I have the opportunity, I’ll defend my faith and share the good news. 

I pray I have the opportunity and fortitude to share my faith when given the opportunity. However, I’m just a tool for God to use and I don’t know what his plans are, regardless of what I might desire to do.