The Wall

We walked past it every day. We knew we should  never even think about going in. It was the walled garden of Brother Hastings. The gate was always shut. Rumor had it that Brother Hastings had a garden and he certainly did not want young boys tromping around in it. All we knew was that it was off limits. Now you might ask, why did we not take a dare and climb the wall? Well contrary to what his photo might look like, he was fierce. He was about 6' 4" and he walked very quickly but with a limp, his black robes flowing, his cane steadying the way. Fear. We were afraid of this man. If he said, "Jump" we would not even ask how high. We would jump. More than any other brother, when he "corporal punished" you, it was felt. No telling what would happen to a boy who was caught on the wall let alone in the garden.

The picture on the left shows the wall and the garden. The gate is now opened. Brother Hastings died and the school property was sold. The picture was taken after that. I don't know what is behind the wall even now. I imagine an overgrown garden. I am not sure I want to know or need to know. The memory stands.

I'll share some time about how I got these photos. For now, I can say they remind me:

1. Authority has a real place

2. We do not need to know what is behind every wall.

3. Over time, things change but our adventures are used by God to make an impression on us which will turn us to Him, be they good or bad adventures. 

Perhaps in your life there are some walled gardens. Something to think about. 

Blessings