Romans 12:21 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Sometimes it takes an open mind and some information to turn an evil desire or action or even an emotion, into a good one.
I was just a young girl and each summer, every day that was sunny and hot, I went to the pool with my friend. It was a free local community pool across the street from our house. We called it ‘the oxie’. There was a main street with a lot of traffic between the oxie and my house, but we were allowed to go there all summer. It was great fun, hanging out with friends, sunbathing on our towels, then cooling off in the pool. So, every day my friend Patty and I would put on our suits, grab a towel and a dime for an ice pop, and go.
One summer day while we were at the pool I hid my dime under my towel for safe keeping while we went into the water. We had a grand time swimming, splashing, giggling and diving for nothing in particular. When were tired and wanted our ice pops, we returned to our towels. My dime was not under my towel. It was nowhere to be found! My friend searched under her towel, we looked around the area in case it somehow rolled, but nothing. I was devastated. I had never been a victim of a crime before, and I was indignant! Patty and I walked home sulking. No ice pops for us today.
Well, my mom was at home. When we told her the entire sad story, complete with dramatic enhancements, she answered;
“Let this be a lesson for you, not all people can be trusted. You will just have to believe that the person who stole your dime must have needed it more than you did.”
I went up to my room, Patty went home. I thought long and hard about what Mom said. Now, dimes didn’t come to us kids easy. We were not flush with money, but thinking about a kid that needed my little dime that would buy an ice pop well, that made me feel sorry for that child. I don’t know if I said a prayer for them, I really don’t remember, but I do remember feeling better about loosing my dime. In fact, I often think of that story when I see those in need. It motivates me to do good and give, so they don’t have to do evil and steal!
Many years later I had my purse stolen out of my car. It was of much greater value than my dime. My license, checkbook and even social security card were in it. In the days that followed the theft I went to search near the ‘crime scene’ for any traces. My store discount cards were tossed on the side of the road, but that was all I found. Another day passed and the local police called me, my social security card was found by someone and they left at the police station. The next week my license was returned to me in the mail. I thought about this evil thing that someone did to me. I thought about the kindness of others, going out of their way to ‘overcome’ the evil with good. I thought about my mother’s words; ‘they must have needed it more than you.’ This time I said a prayer for the person who took what did not belong to them. I prayed that they would understand that their action was wrong, but if they needed the money that badly for sustenance, I prayed that the Lord would bless them so they did not have to steal. It was a comfort to me, the sting of the stolen items was gone and those thoughts not possess my thoughts any longer. It does remind me that a thought through re action can overcome an evil action.
Life is about 10% about what happens to us, and 90%-how we respond to it! Think before you respond as a victim and be an over-comer!
How about you? How can you be an ‘ over comer of evil’ in your corner of the world?
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