The Playground Scam
There was a period in my life a couple years back when things were extremely difficult. My boys were 6, 4 and 2. My youngest was having some developmental delays in behavior..he was almost impossible to deal with, my oldest I was struggling with homeschool because he had a learning disability, my middle child was stealing and not behaving at preschool, my husband had a server in our home that made a constant annoying sound, so when we were home, it was kaotic, and the list goes on. We lived in a smaller home and I had to deal with my husband's clutter problem, I couldn't keep the house clean b/c his office was in our tiny dining room. Our neighbors were unfriendly b/c they had issues with our landlord, I served at church and to get my kids to choir on Wed. night was like climbin Mount Everest, and Brian was always working late and would go home afterwards. It was a very difficult time to say the least. I was able to make a friend nearby that had a son my oldest son's age, and we would hang out from time to time, she wanted to help out as much as possible I could tell.
I am sitting in one of my counseling sessions during this time and it had been a rough week. She said to me, "Melissa, you have go to get out and take those kids to the playground, if all you do is just sit there on the bench and breath, you owe this to yourself.
Believe it our not, I really didnt have the gas money to take the kids to the playground, my money was used up running the kids from church twice a week, to preschool there and back everyday, trips to the grocery store, my gym that I went too, it was a hard stretch, but I knew I had to do this.
I called my friend up, the one who had a son my oldest son' age, and ask her one morning if she would meet me over at the playground next to Lassiter High School. It was January, the weather was nice and cool, not too cold and frigid.
She said, "Well, the only problem is that everytime we go to this playground, something has happened in the past, and we never get to play there."
I thought she was kidding but apparently not. The last time they had visited, her son broke his collar bone sliding down the slide. I couldn't imagine putting them in a bad situation, but then she suddenly agreed to it.
I was at the time participating in a 21 day fast, eventhough I attended a church in Woodstock, my husband and I had a close alliance to Free Chapel in Gainesville, and we began their 21 day fast in 2008 and have done so every year. It was the last week of the Daniel's fast for 2009, and I was very irritable and really needing to get out of the house and kaos of the annoying computer noise in our dining room.
We head over to the playground and the place is empty, which is kind of typical for mid-morning since school is in session. Since our kids are homeschooled, we can take play breaks and get to benefit the park to ourself. My friend has not arrived, and of all things, there is Action 2 News, a familar reporter interviewing an officer.
Oh, it must be a special appreciation thing thinking to myself. You never hear anything other in this part of town. Lassiter is one of the safest places in the world. I get the children out, we get on the playground and begin to play a little. Next thing I know, the familiar news anchor walks over to me fast, and says, "Mam, do you know what happened here 30 minutes ago behind those woods?"
"No, I don't, looking around me," I said stunned.
"A women was raped by a man wearing a black ski mask that was 6ft tall, and he is on the loose."
Next thing I know, he is putting the camera in front of me and asking me questions, "What are you feeling right now after hearing this news?"
Thinking to myself, "Well, my hair is a hot mess, I have on no makeup, I certainly wouldn't of picked this purple sweater jacket to wear, I got on white sunglasses that are not even in season, I don't know what to say, help God...deep breath...and..Seriously, I am terrified, you never hear this kind of thing in Lassiter, this is a great community. When you told me the lady was running behind the woods, I would use better judgement. I try to be smart when running out in public, you can't be too careful in this day and age, but we shouldn't fear leaving our homes, God wants us to know he protects us." I finished flustered and nervous.
He thanked me, then walked back over to the officer across the way. A few minutes later, a man comes up to fence, he was 6ft. and ask me, "Mam, do you know what is going on here?"
"Yes, I do, I walked up to him and said, a man that is 6ft. was reported raping a lady about 40 minutes ago over there in those woods." I said cautiously. Thinking to myself, dude needs to get out of here before they take him for questioning, at this point, anyone 6ft. is a suspect. The news anchor caught an eye of him and start running over to me to protect me I guess. Maybe he thought the same thing.
The man waste anytime getting in his truck and leaving.
My friend makes it up and I tell her the news. She is in awe, since every time they come to this playground something happens. She says, "We are leaving." Before she left, we prayed about the situation. Then Fox News wanted to interview us, she declined, I tried but I couldn't muster the emotions they wanted from me. My son was upset he couldn't play and was giving me a temper tantrum.
I get home and find out later on that the whole thing was a hoax. Some lady had called in a false report. I was thankful it was false and that our neighborhood remained safe and that no one was really raped.
I reported back to my counselor the next week and told her all about my expereince trying to go the playground, how the odds are always against me whenever I try to get up or take a step, I get three steps back. This time was a season in my life, it made me strong, and now things are so much better. The children are much better, Jacob, Joseph and Isaac have improved so much, the server is gone, Brian's office is now downstairs in his man cave, I have a car that runs great now, I don't have to jiggle the battery cables, that is another post.
I see how God was testing me during that time, it was probably a test during my fast too. God has worked so many miracles out in my life, my marriage, our provision, he protects me and watches over my family. I am so grateful.
I am sitting in one of my counseling sessions during this time and it had been a rough week. She said to me, "Melissa, you have go to get out and take those kids to the playground, if all you do is just sit there on the bench and breath, you owe this to yourself.
Believe it our not, I really didnt have the gas money to take the kids to the playground, my money was used up running the kids from church twice a week, to preschool there and back everyday, trips to the grocery store, my gym that I went too, it was a hard stretch, but I knew I had to do this.
I called my friend up, the one who had a son my oldest son' age, and ask her one morning if she would meet me over at the playground next to Lassiter High School. It was January, the weather was nice and cool, not too cold and frigid.
She said, "Well, the only problem is that everytime we go to this playground, something has happened in the past, and we never get to play there."
I thought she was kidding but apparently not. The last time they had visited, her son broke his collar bone sliding down the slide. I couldn't imagine putting them in a bad situation, but then she suddenly agreed to it.
I was at the time participating in a 21 day fast, eventhough I attended a church in Woodstock, my husband and I had a close alliance to Free Chapel in Gainesville, and we began their 21 day fast in 2008 and have done so every year. It was the last week of the Daniel's fast for 2009, and I was very irritable and really needing to get out of the house and kaos of the annoying computer noise in our dining room.
We head over to the playground and the place is empty, which is kind of typical for mid-morning since school is in session. Since our kids are homeschooled, we can take play breaks and get to benefit the park to ourself. My friend has not arrived, and of all things, there is Action 2 News, a familar reporter interviewing an officer.
Oh, it must be a special appreciation thing thinking to myself. You never hear anything other in this part of town. Lassiter is one of the safest places in the world. I get the children out, we get on the playground and begin to play a little. Next thing I know, the familiar news anchor walks over to me fast, and says, "Mam, do you know what happened here 30 minutes ago behind those woods?"
"No, I don't, looking around me," I said stunned.
"A women was raped by a man wearing a black ski mask that was 6ft tall, and he is on the loose."
Next thing I know, he is putting the camera in front of me and asking me questions, "What are you feeling right now after hearing this news?"
Thinking to myself, "Well, my hair is a hot mess, I have on no makeup, I certainly wouldn't of picked this purple sweater jacket to wear, I got on white sunglasses that are not even in season, I don't know what to say, help God...deep breath...and..Seriously, I am terrified, you never hear this kind of thing in Lassiter, this is a great community. When you told me the lady was running behind the woods, I would use better judgement. I try to be smart when running out in public, you can't be too careful in this day and age, but we shouldn't fear leaving our homes, God wants us to know he protects us." I finished flustered and nervous.
He thanked me, then walked back over to the officer across the way. A few minutes later, a man comes up to fence, he was 6ft. and ask me, "Mam, do you know what is going on here?"
"Yes, I do, I walked up to him and said, a man that is 6ft. was reported raping a lady about 40 minutes ago over there in those woods." I said cautiously. Thinking to myself, dude needs to get out of here before they take him for questioning, at this point, anyone 6ft. is a suspect. The news anchor caught an eye of him and start running over to me to protect me I guess. Maybe he thought the same thing.
The man waste anytime getting in his truck and leaving.
My friend makes it up and I tell her the news. She is in awe, since every time they come to this playground something happens. She says, "We are leaving." Before she left, we prayed about the situation. Then Fox News wanted to interview us, she declined, I tried but I couldn't muster the emotions they wanted from me. My son was upset he couldn't play and was giving me a temper tantrum.
I get home and find out later on that the whole thing was a hoax. Some lady had called in a false report. I was thankful it was false and that our neighborhood remained safe and that no one was really raped.
I reported back to my counselor the next week and told her all about my expereince trying to go the playground, how the odds are always against me whenever I try to get up or take a step, I get three steps back. This time was a season in my life, it made me strong, and now things are so much better. The children are much better, Jacob, Joseph and Isaac have improved so much, the server is gone, Brian's office is now downstairs in his man cave, I have a car that runs great now, I don't have to jiggle the battery cables, that is another post.
I see how God was testing me during that time, it was probably a test during my fast too. God has worked so many miracles out in my life, my marriage, our provision, he protects me and watches over my family. I am so grateful.
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