On Christmas Eve I took advantage of the opportunity and went for a few mile jog while Andy watched the baby. I ran around the inside of the gated campus where we live.

I only had a few laps left when I noticed her--the electric blue tight dress--cut way too short and way too tight-wearing black leather knee boots with killer heels. Prostitutes in our neighborhood, especially out back by the tennis courts are no surprise. What shocked me was how young she looked as I ran closer to her.

I jogged on by and began to reminisce about playing tennis over there with Andy when the prostitutes waiting to get picked up would watch and cheer us on in our game. They would get picked up and we would continue with our game. They would sit along the curb and watch us play. We had fun.

We missed the opportunity then to evangelize to them. I felt convicted about the electric blue girl and decided that one my next lap around that I would say something to her.

By the time I came back around it was too late. She was gone. Another missed opportunity. I'm not sure if I was truly disappointed or relieved--or a mixture of both. All I know is that she was gone. I delayed responding to the nudging in my spirit. I do that too often.

The more I thought about as I continued jogging the more upset I became. If I were to talk to this girl what would I say? I would want to get her off the street immediately--probably invite her inside to chat or to eat with us on Christmas Eve. In reality I would have been talking to her through a locked fence. She wouldn't have been able to get in and I wouldn't have been able to get out. The opening to the gate is a half mile away. We say we are incarnational in our community by our gated property with security guards to keep the community out says otherwise...

I prayed about it as I became frustrated.

On my last lap around I noticed another lady out there--down closer to the maintenance shed this time. The LORD was giving me another opportunity. This time I was walking as a cool down. I approached the fence and began to open my mouth when I was distracted by two kids behind me on campus filling up a bike tire with air. I turned to look at them and then at the woman on the street. I started to walk away and then turned back again toward the street. I did the same thing a third time and ended up not talking to her reasoning that I didn't want to expose the kids there to what could happen if I did talk to her. In hindsight I would have done it.

Another missed opportunity. My spirit was going crazy--and still is. Call it holy discontent. Call it shame and disappointment. Call it whatever you want but there are people in need at our front door (gate) literally and we can't even tell them that we have what they need. We are too busy protecting what we have when we should be--I should be--willing to give it away. LORD, have mercy on us--on me.

As I walked toward our building Andy was outside with the baby who was crying. It was time to be a mom.