Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Tales of Integrity

"A friend will be a friend in times of all kinds." ~ Proverbs 17:17
It was a moment that changed two lives forever.  A nanosecond gone horribly wrong . . . two friends gravely entwined.
At the bachelorette party, just weeks before her wedding, Randi (friend #1) was playfully pushed into a pool by her best friend (#2).  She hit the bottom head first.  Her body went numb as she floated motionless in the water.  A C6 vertebra fracture left Randi no feeling below her shoulders.
Her dear friend (#2), who’d had only innocent intentions, would likely carry some burden of guilt for the rest of her life.  Only in her silent prayers could she speak her heart to God and beg forgiveness.  She didn't feel like she deserved it but she hung the shreds of her sanity on it.
The story of the “Paralyzed Bride” immediately spread like kudzu in Kentucky.  The media wanted to know who caused the unfortunate calamity.  They demanded a name, a face and some answers for an “exclusive” interview.  They’d recklessly ask questions no one had a right to ask: “Do you feel guilty?”  “How can you live with yourself?”  “Are you still friends?” “Does Randi forgive you?”
People would paint them with broad brushes.  Randi - the sweet, wonderful example of human determination; the good one.  Since friend #2 pushed her into the pool, she’s the villain.
Still confined by traction, Randi made a decision.  As her bachelorette friends gathered around her hospital bed, she made them promise to never reveal the name of the person who’d pushed her.  It wouldn’t serve any purpose.  It wouldn’t do anyone any good!
With that decision, they’d keep their dignity, and of course, their friendship.
So, the media changed course – a new twist.  They’d praise her for not outing her friend despite offers of money and prestigious interviews.  “Hollow praise” to Randi’s way of thinking.
Protecting her friend was a natural instinct.  It didn’t make her a saint for simply doing the “right thing.”  Media and money come and go, but friendship lasts a lifetime.  Exposing her friend’s privacy during such a traumatic event never entered Randi’s mind.  Ever!
Epilogue:  The couple’s wedding plans were put on hold temporarily.  They married a year to the day after their original date.  The friend who pushed her into the pool, whom Randi never identified, was among the invited guests.
“I didn’t have to forgive her, Randi explained.  “I never blamed her in the first place!”
During a celebration of their 3rd anniversary, the couple announced their pregnancy from a surrogate who’s yet to be identified.  But I have a pretty good guess who it might be.
Lord, You’ve blessed us with friends who love us, who share our sorrows, who laugh with us in celebration, who bear our pain, who need us as we need them, who weep as we weep, who hold us when words fail, and who give us the freedom to be ourselves. Thank you!