I'll Take You Back

Mar 13, 2009 by mandeewidrick

My day was seemingly slow yet good. Things with Bit & Bridle have been wonderful and getting better with each passing day.

I went to the Post Office around 2:30 p.m. to ship some packages and check my mailbox, planning to go to the bank afterwards with a deposit. After completing my first stop, I pulled out of the post office parking lot and up the road, coming to the familiar 4-way intersection. I slowed to stop at the red light. I was behind a big red pickup truck plastered with magnets and stickers, obviously a racing fan. Impressive. (Not really.) The driver was signaling left as the light turned green, but oncoming traffic was heavy and he had to wait for everyone else to pass.

I slowly pulled my rig, a Chevrolet Suburban, up beside him as best as I could. Seeing it was a severely snug fit, I opted not to ride the curb in an effort to turn right. So I waited, impatiently sighing and looking around at nothing in particular. 

When he finally was able to move out of the way, I turned right, en route to the bank. I told Libby, my black lab in the back seat, to hang on. (She wasn’t buckled in. ) As we came around the corner, I was surprised at the long line of traffic coming from the opposite direction, all waiting at for the light to change so they could proceed with their travels.

School must be getting out, I thought, glancing at the time. As I was gawking at the many cars coming down the road, suddenly a door flew open on one of the stopped vehicles. A teenage boy, long brown hair flying, leaped out of the car and slammed the door, throwing his arms up in rage at the driver before storming down the sidewalk. My eyebrows raised in wonder and I lifted my foot from the gas pedal, slowing to observe the scenario unfolding before me. 

Glancing at the woman behind the wheel, I watched as she threw her hand up with a flick of her wrist at the boy, in an “I don’t care, just leave” gesture. Turning back to face the traffic ahead, she quickly made sure the light was not yet green, then dropped her head in embarrassment, avoiding the gaze of the other drivers around her. 

I watched her bite her lip as her shoulder-length blonde hair fell in her face. Was this her son? Chances were she’d picked him up from school moments before. Perhaps he’d gotten in trouble, arousing an argument on their way home. Maybe he wanted to go to a friend’s house and she’d said no. Whatever had brought on this act of rebellion, he was apparently so angry that he’d impulsively leaped out of the vehicle the moment it stopped.

With a wave of compassion, I wanted to pull over then and there and chase after the kid. I wanted to stop him with a shake to the shoulders and say, “Get back there and make things right!” I didn’t know their situation, but I took it to the Lord anyways. As I began to intercede for this mom and her son, a song came on the radio, a confirmation for me about what I’d just seen. 

I’ll take you back always 
Even when your fight is over now 
I’ll take you back 
Even when the pain is coming through 
I’ll take you back

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpgOlnzew68&feature=channel_page]