Opinions and Front Yard Signs

My wife and I had moved to Puerto Rico a little over a year ago… and our move happened fast! We sold and gave away most of our Virginia possessions and started from scratch in the mountainous town of Gurabo.

My pale skin stuck out here more than ever!

Our main purpose for the sudden move was to join forces with a local church on the island and help them wrap up a 100,000 sq ft building renovation. Our task – to help turn a Hurricane Maria damaged furniture store into a brand new church campus!

Along the way, I was able to develop a good relationship with one of my neighbors, Yule, who had been building custom doors for many years. He was a US Air Force Vet and a Puerto Rican native who spoke enough English for me to enjoy our conversations. The match was perfect – we needed doors built for this church campus and he had an incredible gift.

Over the months, our relationship had morphed from a strange gringo moving in next door to pretty good friends. And tonight, joined with much story telling and laughter, he shared a real story that hit pretty close to home.

I had mentioned to him that I had just published a book.

“Ah, what about?” Yule asked with eyes that lit up with excitement.

“About my story,” I replied hesitantly, not entirely sure how deep this topic might go.

“Let me see,” he quickly retorted.

So, I opened my phone and pulled up my book an Amazon.

“Tied to the Dock,” he said slowly as he worked through the pronunciation. “Learning to Live Forgiven in a World that Won’t Forgive You.”

I held my phone a little longer for him to take it in.

“Tell it to me!” he said. “Tell me what your book is about.”

My head lowered. I struggled with where to start.

“I had made some choices about 8 years ago that resulted in me going to jail,” I spoke slowly.

“But what did you do?” he quickly asked.

“I… I was a teacher…”

“Ahh, I know,” said Yule, cutting me off. “Say no more. I already know.”

I looked at him perplexingly.

“How could you know,” I thought, “I have never told you.”

“How long were you in jail?” Yule asked.

I inhaled to answer his question.

“3 months?” he asked before I could even answer.

“Yea,” I curiously replied. “How did you know that?”

“I told you,” he said, looking at me with a twinkle in his eye. “I already know.”

In the moments that followed, Yule went on to explain how it was that he had already been aware of my background. Through his broken English I made out that shortly after our arrival, a police officer had gone around and told people of their new neighbor that had just moved in. And as the neighbors talked, Yule found out that some wanted to put up a sign in our front yard, a sign clearly stating who I was – a sex offender.

“I told them NO!” Yule said, standing up and looking at me with piercing eyes. “He is my friend. There is no need for any sign.”

I sat there, unsure how to take in the news I had just heard.

“Everyone had their opinion,” he continued. “But I took the time to find the truth. I read what you did. I took the time to understand what had happened.”

I sat there speechless.

“I told the neighbors,” Yule continued, “Everyone is quick to make their opinions. But I took the time to get to know him. And he is my friend! There is no need to put a sign in his yard.”

…..

Two things:

First, I instantly felt a rush of humiliation and shame at the thought of waking up one day to see a sign placed in my front yard with the sole purpose of warning the neighborhood of a dangerous monster that lived within those walls. A sign based solely on perceived opinions. I can’t imagine (or maybe nothing good would come from me even trying to imagine) what life here on the island would be like for Jenny and I had it not been for Yule’s intervention on our behalf. An intervention that took place behind the scenes – all without us even aware of it.

I was both grateful and humbled to know that God had provided for us a man – a man who found favor in us – to fight on our behalf.

Second, I wondered how often I had been guilty of forming an opinion of another without taking the time to get to know them first? I know this has happened before – and I am ashamed to think about how often. For that, I need to apologize.

Father, please forgive me! Help me to see others as Yule does.

Author: Weston Katze