My Weird Friday Nght

So, today was the last day of summer program- the kids found the "buried treasure" we had beach day, I cleaned out the room somewhat (though there is a great deal more to do.)
Then, I was supposed to help a friend, Todd, who has bought a new house and is painting. I ended up not getting over there till almost everything was done, but then we went out to Water Street, which was really cool. We had truly amazing conversation both at the coffee house and later on that night. Our conversation mainly centered around the idea of conflict and forgiveness, a subject which we have been covering in our small group and that others have said that they recently had to deal with major conflict. I think that this is how Satan is attacking the River right now. Now that we are coming upon our first year anniversary, we are really starting develop a better sense of community, and so that is a prime area to create issues.
Todd, Cara, Stacie, Nate and I had a wonderful time at the coffee house, and then Nate, Stacie and decided to walk to the Arcadia Creek Festival Site. We played around in the fountain for a little while, and when that shut off we moved over to teh playground. I really admire Nate's listening skills (ouch- preschool word accidentally popped out) But he is a really good person who has the ability to speak into your situation without sounding preachy or hypocritical.
Stacie and I saw this even more so when we were approached by BJ, a very drunk man asking us for a light, as he clutched a dented and grimy Mountain Dew bottle containing a pint of somehing that was most assuredly NOT Mountain Dew. At first we had some really great conversation and he told us about his father being stabbed, and how he had been ripped off while trying to buy some weed earlier, and he made a few jokes about us being friends and that Stacie and I were cute, but nothing overly gross or innapropriate. Then, we went back to the fountain and rolled up the legs of our pants and played in the ribbons of water that shoot sporadically out of simple holes in the ground. BJ went to go to the bathroom and when he returned I noticed a distinct change in him. He came to where we were and fell/lay down on the ground for a few minutes, and then he came over to us and said "I smell some good shit over here." I said that I thought it was the restaurant nearby and Nate and Stacie both gave ideas, and then he turned to me and said, "No, I think its her." He said that he was trying to be polite ( didn't really suceed) "but I'm hot on her." He said several other odd things, and Nate finally said, "Now, you want to be careful that you don't make her feel uncomfortable." ( He already had) BJ then said, "Yeah well, we can be friends right?"
I hate it that as a woman our friendliness is often seen as something else, or that something could have happened if Stacie and I had been alone at the park. We talked to him for over an hour, and I hope that we made some impact. When we left, Nate was going ot give him a ride home, and they even had time and energy to help a guy whos truck had overheated. I know that he was harmless, but this odd night combined with the fact that the roomies are spending their first night in the new apartment so I am here all alone, has left me feeling rather defenseless and vulnerable. I hate it when Satan tries to ride the coattails of something that God is using for the positive to twist it around and warp it for his purposes. The old fears slipping back in so easily has always been a problem for me, probably because of the fine line between being safe and overly guarded. So, I came home tonight and turned on a few too many lights and now I'm sitting in the well-locked living room and watching "Stripes."

Quote:

BJ: That man ripped me off. I gave him money for weed, and he never came back.
Nate: Man, that stuff will mess you up. I smoked weed every day for ten years.
BJ: You can tell.