The Ring

[7:40 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: elsewhere in my life I was discussing something… my young friend, “the German” we’ll call him… an 18 year old Exchange student (known as GAP students) who is working at my school this year… came to me and told me of a situation he’s grappling with… one of the other GAP students, has been attacking him in every sphere of his life… and he doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve it… long story there… truncated… can I hear an AMEN LOL

Well, we had a chat on my bus yesterday afternoon on our deadhead run back to the school from dropping the kids off… and the long and the short of it was that his desire to distance himself from this other GAP was a good thing to do… and it turns out to be good advice for me, in my situation with my son-in-law Clinton…

2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
[7:41 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: It takes two to reconcile, but it only takes one to . . . well, become enemies
[7:41 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: two can play at that game… but like I said before, the book of 1 John… there’s no loop holes… the only option is LOVE
[7:42 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: I am now at Deuteronomy btw Ryan… having not only “weathered” the law… but have been deeply enriched by it.
[7:44 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: and… alas… still no loop holes… but there was some solace… and its about what to do when you see your enemy’s dog stuck down a well… you are to take his dog, and bring it to him, saying…. “pardon me for breaching the silence between us, but I know this is your dog…” and hand him the leash you made out of your belt… as you walk away holding up your pants
[7:48 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: so… my son-in-law has attacked me attacked me… and I kept getting off the mat… and running back in with my hands in front of me like boxers do… fists covered with boxing gloves… you can see the blood dripping from my left nostril, and my right eye is swollen from his left jabs… and my hair is drenched with sweat… and I’m swaying…. and barely able to “dance” on the mat… the bright lights are blinding me, so my eyes are half closed… the crowd roars… the referee has his whistle in his mouth… but still hasn’t done anything… I’m still standing… and Clint… delivered more blows… lefts rights… digging up under my upraised forearms… body shots… and again and again my head, my body, my face… and I swoon, and fall to the matt and…
[7:49 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: so I’ve stepped out of the ring… and I wait over here, in my hospital room LOL
[7:49 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: but what I mean to say for those of you that haven’t lost me here… I stopped fighting, and I wait here eagerly for the reconciliation…
[7:50 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: but it takes TWO to reconcile… to hash it out… and we’ll see iron sharpening iron… we’ll see age ministering to beauty… we’ll see beauty in the beast (coming to theatre’s near you)
[7:50 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: … hey, Dad, its been a while… can we get together and talk?
[7:51 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: Clint will say through the miles and miles of space and time… and I’ll say, “I’m right here, behind you, turn around…” and he’ll turn and we’ll embrace, and we’ll maybe even talk things over but…
[7:51 AM, 2/21/2026] Laurence: the greatest of these is LOVE