Darts and Leg Braces

I did an old people thing. I wrenched my leg ... sleeping.  I fell asleep pain free and able to walk. I woke up in excruciating pain, limping. The past several days, I have sported a very fashionable leg brace and have become the target of the youngsters on the block. Literally.

When a couple of the boys down the street noticed I could not run, they brought out their nerf guns and laughed maniacally while shooting me nonstop. They knew they were safe from any retaliation. I pretty much just sat there and took it, even though it stung. (One of those kids does not miss. Ever!)

There is one thing those boys did not know, however. I was collecting everything they shot at me. They rode off on their bikes (the ones I had fixed for them! Thanks a lot, guys!), laughing at how many times they shot at me (and hit the mark!).  They did not realize I had every single nerf bullet they had pinged me with. I counted on the fact that, per usual, they weren't going to pick up after themselves. I marked the spots the nerf bullets landed, and I limped back to those spots to collect them in a bucket. When my leg heals, they are about to meet a battery-powered nerf gun with multi-load chamber.

While I was telling the story to a friend of mine and giggling about it, I felt God drop something into my heart regarding how similar this situation was to the next season in life for many people.

There is one group of people who have appeared to be weakened, crippled, and the target of a lot of bullying and ill treatment at the hands of others. They have sat, seemingly helpless, while those who appeared stronger and better equipped took shots at them. For a long time, it appeared they were just going to sit and be the target. But the season is changing. God collected all the bullets. And He is about to be the One who returns fire.