The time? 2:00 am. After 2 large pizzas and a rigorous session of Nintendo 64 with the boys, which included Mario Kart and Pokemon Stadium, we decided to cool off by heading outside into the refreshing 80 degree nighttime temperature. Nothing special, just four guys sitting in the front "lawn" talking away. But then, something we never would have expected happened (or maybe could have based on where we were), something that changed our whole night! I'm going to call her "untied vans" because that was her shoe of choice. But first, let me provide a little background info on where this all occurred. We like to call it "Frappe Snowland" also known as Charley's, Joey's, and soon my house. It is located in the sketchy old neighborhood south of 6th street near Campbell. If that means nothing to you, know this: It can be very creepy, ESPECIALLY at 2am. So here comes Untied Vans walking down the road BY HERSELF, talking on the phone. Seeming a bit odd at first, we kept an eye on her as she walked to the next intersection and stopped. She then flipped a 180 and came and walked by us again before stopping just in front of the neighbors house and then turning to ask us where we were. By now, the next 2 hours of our life were completely changed.
Untied Vans, as she tells us, is from Delaware and has a very distinct mix of a Southern and a Bostonian accent. She has been in Tucson one week, and as we came to know over and over again, works at the mall as a makeup sales person. Oh, and Untied Vans is completely drunk! She tells us, with distinct usage of the word "y'all" repeated over a hundred times, that she lives way off on the east side near Pantano but has just been kicked out of a party because of some girls boyfriend issues (and really just too much alcohol). She asked us how far it was, of which we replied, "about 10 miles". . .And then she informed us that she was going to walk there .....and walked off.
So we sit and ponder what just happened before we realized we couldn't let this girl make the last decision of her life if we didn't have to. So we followed her a couple blocks to another intersection and asked her if she would like a ride, of which she said "no", she has someone else coming to get her. So as she talked on the phone to various people (and informed us of who they were as she talked and a funny story about them) we talked to her and basically watched out for her. Apparently a "cowboy" friend she had just met was coming to get her at the intersection. She found a strange liking to Charley who she thought looked smart and "pettable". It was good conversation, but as she tried to prove that she wasn't drunk and could walk in a straight line better than any of us, she got angry and walked away.......again
Relentlessly not allowing this girl to be alone, we split up, two waiting at the intersection, and two following her two more blocks to the major intersection of Broadway and Campbell. She eventually called her sister who had agreed to come pick her up (which probably should have been the first thing to happen. Untied Vans then just walked across the major street while we attempted to protect her from cars and we ended the night talking in the Safeway parking lot until the sister arrived (and the guy who was supposed to pick her up at the intersection the first time). All alone now, we walked over to circle K, feeling accomplished that we had kept her alive, and then crashed back at Charley's (or the smart ones) house. The time was now past 4am.
All this to say, sometimes when you share love with others they will never remember a single ounce of it; Sometimes it will pass right under the radar. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't love. Don't just love for the recognition, or the favor, or to get it returned, or to fill a longing inside yourself. Love because they are more important than just another person; Love because they are our neighbor's no matter how we might view them; Love because they need God's love just as much as we do; Love because He first loved us!
He'll notice you! I guarantee it
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