The Football Star, Part 2

By Kathy Luder

Incident/Assault Report

Page: 2 of 2

Complaint #: 071007-13

Victim: Luder

Offender: Goodrich Incident/Assault Report

Notes/Comments – (describe the incident and any action taken):

Victim told this officer (recording submitted to D.A.) that she was at offender’s house by invitation for a party and that they were romantically associated. The party included under-aged drinking and illegal drugs. There were no adults present at the party. Offender’s parents were asleep in house (see complaint 071007-14). Victim knew offender had been drinking. She went with him into the house alone and was lured into the basement. Offender verbally assaulted her and then pushed her down on the bed. He restrained her with his weight and attempted to rape her. He was stopped when the victim found a trophy and hit him in the face. He then let go, and she escaped.

Victim’s friend, Molly Phillips, had come to the house looking for her. She took her home. She and the victim’s mother brought her to the hospital where she was met by this officer. Doctor’s report (attached) indicates injuries consistent with assault as described. No other physical harm was suffered by the victim. Skin samples were taken from victim’s fingernails. She was not admitted to the hospital and went home.

This officer also interviewed the offender in the emergency room (recording submitted to D.A.). He had a large cut above his right eye and a bandage over the eye, consistent with victim’s description. This officer administered breathalyzer test (attached). Offender registered a blood alcohol level of .11. Urine sample showed no traces of barbiturates. Fingernail scrapings taken from victim will be stored for DNA analysis.

Based on the evidence in these reports, this officer placed the offender in custody. He will remain in the hospital under guard pending the decision of the district attorney on the filing of charges.

Celestial Report

From: St. Lichstacht, Guardian Angel

Date: Day 732,720 of the New Creation

The Baptized: Blessed Kathy

Describe the Incident, including the Cause and Resolution:

The demons ambushed our Blessed Kathy, intending harm to her body, mind, and soul. They lured her in with the risky pleasure of teenage infatuation. It was custom tailored to her weaknesses. She was not corrupted directly, but she made foolish choices. She sinned by going to a perilous gathering. She skated around the edges of Holy Marriage for her own selfish wishes. She partially succumbed to the peer pressure touted by the Defector to “not judge.” Not only did she endanger herself, she also placed the Blessed Molly in danger. She condoned, by silence, the sinful behavior of others.

This tragedy has already served as a warning to the Blessed Kathy. The Evil One is powerful when compared to humans. By His unfathomable grace, our Father delivered her from a worse fate and also from death. We know, of course, that our Father’s ways are not our ways. Sometimes He does allow evil a temporary foothold. He uses death itself to bring His saints to Himself. But this time He intervened, and she was largely spared. We pray that she come to know the danger she faces from the Enemy, the world, and her own sinful flesh, lest she become complacent or fall into that wicked trap set by the Father of Lies that takes our Father’s grace for granted or that thinks bad things don’t happen to Christians.

In this terrible event, our Father once again demonstrated His power and patient mercy. He never left the Blessed Kathy. The Spirit of our Father was calling to her even when she put herself at grave risk by suppressing her conscience. She was dangerously close to losing faith, to driving off our Father’s Spirit, by this suppression. But He remembers His promises. He remembers Kathy because He remembers His Son. He remembers His blessed sacrifice for her, the blood that cries to heaven for mercy, the justice that requires heaven’s protection. He looks to the righteousness of Jesus Christ, whom He sent to earth to be humanity’s Savior. Glory be to God on high! He was slain from the foundation of the world to make Kathy His. Peace on earth! Good will to men! He was raised again for her justification. She has been reconciled to Him and declared righteous. His innocent heel was bruised, He died, but that giving death crushed Satan’s seed and He has risen victoriously. Thus is our Father pleased with the Blessed Kathy, even as He is pleased with His Only-Begotten. His life and righteousness count for her. He could no more let hell have her than He could leave His Holy One in the grave. He delights in her so much that He loves to hear her prayers and answers even before she prays—God be praised! The Enemy snapped his jaws in vain. His prey escaped in the twinkling of an eye. The chains that hold him are sturdy and short. No saints go to Hell. He gets not a single saint. They all belong to God. The devil cannot even have the smallest of sparrows or frailest of lilies. Yet, as we well know, he still wins many battles in the fallen kingdom of the air. He causes great sufferings and sorrows on old earth. But not tonight. Tonight, the desire of all holy angels to keep all the Baptized from harm was also the perfect will of our Father.

Thus did He, in mercy, provide an escape from greater harm for the Blessed Kathy. It was my delight, at His instruction, to set the trophy into her hand. She was thus liberated and removed from danger. How our Father will use this for good in His Son is not yet completely known, though some good has already been seen. We’ve all guarded those whom our Father has allowed to be hurt, but His mercy is perfect and pure, and our angelic understanding is limited. We do His will, not our own, and His will is always good and always best. He wills to forgive sins. He wills to bless men through faith. Sometimes our desire cannot be met for the sake of good. But not today! Today we had the blessed confluence of angelic instincts perfectly matched to our Father’s gracious wisdom: the Blessed Kathy was rescued.

Thus was she delivered from worse harm by divine intervention. More gloriously, she remained by His grace in the faith. God Himself, who loves her, intervened for her. The salvation won on Calvary’s holy beams was given in time to her so that she would trust in Him and be saved. Her struggles are not over. She must for now bear a heavy weight. Physical violence and impurity inflict a terrible burden upon the baptized who are yet waiting for transfer to glory. Our legions, all of whom also love her, will keep watching over Blessed Kathy and also praying for her. And in it all we rejoice in this: she believes in Jesus. He has saved her. She will join us in heaven. By His grace, she will come to better know whence comes her help, how to pray, to rely ever more fully and confidently upon Our Father’s grace, to wait for and expect heaven. We are all eager to talk to her, to let her in on all the good that God has done for her and how He watched and adored her while she was on earth. For now, we must wait. Once again, what we angels would have now, in our holy ignorance, comes only in our Father’s time, at His Word, by His mysterious and ever gracious wisdom.

Reverently submitted, St. Lichstacht 10/7/07

Dear Diary,

I just got back from the hospital. It’s 4 a.m. Molly’s asleep. She won’t leave me alone. The doctor tried to make her leave while I was examined, and she practically tore his head off. I’m glad she’s sleeping, because I want to be alone. I wish I could sleep. I want to stop thinking for a while.

I can’t believe I was so stupid, that I even wound up there. Molly keeps saying it wasn’t my fault and that she is sorry. I want to tell her it’s okay, that I’ll make it, and that it wasn’t her fault. But the reality is I’m still scared. That is why I can’t talk about it. I’m afraid of what I’ll say.

I don’t know where that trophy came from. One second I didn’t have it, then I did. Thank God for it! Thank God. He provided the escape. I know He did. He answered my prayer. I want to tell Molly all that, but I can’t. Not yet. Right now it just makes me cry. It hurts too bad. Molly and Mom want me to talk. Dad’s going to fly home early. They’re scared for me. I’m still afraid too. I’m afraid of seeing Rick again. I don’t want to go back to school. And the devil isn’t limited to Rick. He’s out there. He hates me. He wants to destroy me.

I’m afraid. But I’m also thankful. I was rescued. I’m scared and relieved at the same time. Does that make sense? I know it doesn’t. It doesn’t make sense to me either. I’m mixed up and conflicted. But I can’t stop my mind. I have Jesus. I’m scared, and I’m safe. I’m sad, and yet I’m confident that Christ is risen, that no one can take me from Him, that He doesn’t hate me for being stupid but loves me. I was rescued. The Lord was with me. It could have been worse, but it wasn’t. Thanks be to God! His mercy endures forever.

The scary thing now is that everything is scary. My feelings are so huge that Jesus looks small. I know He’s not, but it feels that way. I’m safe in the death of Jesus Christ. He lives and so will I. That is my hope and my comfort. That’s what I believe and what I wait to see. Jesus is with me. He protects me.

I am not fine. But I am alive. I’m not physically hurt, except for some bruises. My heart hurts. I will get better. And I will go to heaven. I will be free of trial and temptation, of sinful and stupid choices. I will be free of fear. Jesus heard my prayers. He will bring me home. He will rescue me from this vale of tears. I’m not okay, but I will be. I believe that. I will get better. Then, I will tell Molly and Mom all of it. I promise. I will warn them. And I will comfort them. I will tell them about guardian angels and the promise of the resurrection. I will not forget. I was spared this night. Jesus loves me.

Some Further Thoughts…

As noted by readers, this hasn’t been a typical story for Kathy Luder. For five years, she’s encountered situations which are resolved in two pages, Gospel and all. It’s the formula of short stories and thirty-minute sitcoms. It’s not real life. In a wide variety of situations, God’s deliverance isn’t apparent right away. He leaves His people to endure and trust His promises for a while, and they sometimes bear scars until the Last Day.

The story’s first part spoke about setting limits, resisting peer pressure, and making good choices. In confirmation class lingo, the Law was acting as a curb, discouraging evil. Illicit partying happens a lot in high school. The evil is cloaked as part of growing up. The devil delights to hurt bodies, minds, and souls. We’d rather have you avoid the scene and all the dangers it offers.

Part one also raised the question: why did this happen to Kathy? We’re deluded if we think the world works by rewarding the good and punishing the bad. If we believe that vicious lie, then we’ll start to blame Kathy. We also acknowledge that not every girl is given an escape like Kathy. A football trophy isn’t always nearby. Horrible things happen. When this lie takes hold, it blames victims for what others have done. It isolates them in crushing shame that isn’t theirs.

Especially for them, we need to condemn the lie that bad things happen only to those who deserve them. We acknowledge that tragedy can befall anyone, no matter how carefully they try to live. Furthermore, there’s no guarantee that we’ll know why the Lord permits such things. Answers aren’t always given. Meanwhile, the devil whispers, “Where is God now?”

For starters, you know where He’s been: on the cross. Jesus’ Father forsook Him because He bore all sin—all of yours and all the world’s. Therefore, God will not forsake you. He promises instead to deliver you from evil—all of yours and all the world’s. To the repentant sinner, He says, “I forgive you. All your guilt is gone.” To the one who has suffered the evil of others, He says, “I have suffered others’ sins and borne shame that was not Mine. Before Me all your shame, including what has been unjustly placed upon you, is gone. No one knows your pain more than I do. I am not far away. I will always keep My baptismal promise. You’re Mine.”

Jesus delivers us from all evil, including the evil we don’t want to talk about. Ultimately, He delivers us from the evil inflicted upon us by others. His grace is not just for when we tell a little lie or cheat on a test. It is deliverance from terrible evil too. If we only look at little sins, forgiveness will look small.We begin truly to appreciate the light of the Gospel when we see how dark the sin from which we are delivered.

It seems appropriate to work through this in a magazine targeted to high schoolers. That’s an opinion. Not all will agree. But this is certain: in an evil world, Jesus’ promises remain. Rejoice in your Baptism. Run to hear His Word and receive His Supper.Whatever the dangers of this world, that is where Jesus is for you.