gang grafiti

The canvas: our fence

The artists: one or many teenagers

The painting: commonly known as "my territory"

The police tell us this lovely painting is a claim made by the local girl-gang (specifically girls from or somehow related to Mexico) marking their territory, which suddenly appears to be our entire neighborhood.

Neighbors are outraged. Some are moving. We just keep covering it up -- this is the 3rd painting we've received in a month. We feel called to live here. We love our neighbors. We love being so close to our church. We love being so close to the school. And we know this is really God's territory.

Hmmm. It all reminds me of the not-so-good days when I was part of a "Mexican girl gang." But Jen, you might say, you're not even from Mexico. Well, good point. But when I was in high school I lived in some apartments where I was a minority and just by association I was in the gang. I never joined the gang, but I still had to get out of it. It is a long, difficult story that I can tell you about in person some day...but for now, the important thing is that when these young people "signed" our fence, they unknowingly stirred up the heavenly realms...because now they're being prayed for!

Now, every time I have to clean or paint or turn a fence-slat around, I pray to the real and living God for these young people...and I can pray like someone who's "been there." I can pray for things like their heart, their life, their identity, their future, their self-image, their concept of authority, their fear of others, giving in to peer pressure, etc, etc... I may be angry and frustrated, but God loves them, and obviously wants them covered in prayer.