Gospel Grace

I met RJ at the beginning of his tenth grade year in a new school. He wasn’t known by the staff other than what was written on paper and on paper he looked like bad news.

But RJ was a calm, quiet, kind young man that lived in a local group home that I visited weekly. I went there to provide life coaching for any of the teens boys that wanted to meet with me.

RJ would sometimes come in to talk and sometimes he would choose not to which was totally cool with me because I wanted the boys to feel empowered to exercise choice in seeking out support.

Well, this one evening around the middle of the school year, he came in and told me that he was suspended from school. I knew he struggled a little in academics but he had been pretty well behaved at school and at his group home. He was also heavily involved in sports so it surprised me that he had gotten into some trouble. I started to ask a few questions about his suspension…

I said, “Why did you get suspended?” in a curious, non-judgmental tone.

RJ said, “Well, someone stole this girl’s phone at school. She was freaking out about it because she got it for Christmas. So everyone in the classroom was looking for it. Someone found it stashed in a textbook on the shelf and the book was assigned to me so they thought I took it, but I didn’t.”

I asked gently, “Did you tell them that you didn’t take it?”

He said, “No.”

So I asked, “Why not?”

RJ said, “Well, there was this other boy at school that took the phone and I knew he did but I had heard one of the APs tell him in the hall that if he got in trouble again, he would get expelled. I kind of felt bad for him because he was having a rough time and I haven’t been in no trouble this year so I knew I could take the consequence but I knew he couldn’t. So I just let them think it was me.”

He added, “I also didn’t want to look more guilty by denying it, so I just didn’t say anything.”

And finally, he said, “I felt really bad for the girl so I am going to tell her I am sorry for what she had went through when I get back to school.”

This young man knew a little bit about the story of the other boy and it caused him to have compassion, understanding and grace for him.

The school didn’t think to ask about RJ’s story so they made a judgment based on words on paper and assumptions that this boy was deserving of the consequences that didn’t actually belong to him at all.

It hit me as I drove home from our meeting that night that this was the Gospel.

Jesus knowing our stories, the trouble we’d be in, the hurt we would cause, the consequences we deserved and would decide to take all of it upon himself for our benefit.

Jesus’ story, his Truth, was that he was innocent. And he didn’t have to take the cross for us. Just like RJ didn’t have to take the fall for the other boy.

But he did it-Jesus did it-because he could. Because he could choose to show such grace and mercy for others whether they would ever know it, acknowledge it or appreciate it.

Our world is filled daily with noisy stories about what’s mine, what’s owed, what’s conspiracy and what’s unfair for selves.

But God and RJ, focused on what can be done, what gift could be given, what burden could be lifted and what love could be lavished on someone else.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be more like RJ, realizing that everyone has a story and that that story could drastically change, not just the way we see things but actually change the way they are.

Author: Erin NeSmith

Erin NeSmith graduated from the University of South Florida in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Interpersonal Communication and a minor in Music. She also earned her Professional Coaching Certification as a life coach in 2016. Mrs. NeSmith has spent the majority of her career serving at-risk populations as a Re-entry Counselor, Teacher, and Program Director at New Life Village, a intergenerational adoptive community. She has a strong desire to partner with at-risk teens through coaching and mentoring as they become the best version of themselves. To that end, she founded Grow Into You Foundation, Inc. in 2016, which seeks to plant hope, shift perspectives, and restore power to at-risk youth, particularly those in and aging out of the foster care system. Mrs. NeSmith enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, reading professional development books, clowning (no, really!), singing and songwriting and participating in karaoke nights with friends.