The Broken Road Fixes A Broken Relationship

Last year I had a tough year on the high school route. A group of students really didn’t like me and made things hard, miserable at times. This year has been so much better with the exception of a couple of students, holdovers from last year. One of those students has been Ashley. Ashley hasn’t liked me from day one. She has publicly stated this year a couple times that she hates me. She called me an “ass” one day in response to me telling her not to be moving around in the bus when it’s moving. Finally, she told me to never talk to her. So, respecting her request, I’ve just smiled at her every time she gets on the bus.

Yesterday Ashley was the first on the bus. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and just looked at me, like she didn’t know what to do, or maybe like she was at a crossroads. Then she asked, “What is your favorite country western song?” I was stunned, to say the least. I told her I did really listen to country western. She asked what I do listen to. I told her Eagles, James Taylor, etc. But she persisted, “But of the country western song you have heard, which is your favorite?” I was still amazed that Ashley was talking to me and could hardly even think of “Home, Home On the Range,” much less anything else. Then I remembered a song I had heard Eric (my son) playing by a group called Rascal Flats, something about a broken road. When I tried to describe it, Ashley went crazy. That’s “Bless the Broken Road,” that’s my all time favorite song. I was just listening to that on an ipod.” Then she said, “That’s really weird that you and I like the same song.” She repeated that again later in the conversation.

She went on to tell me why she didn’t ride the bus that morning and that she was living at a house with one of the other students on the bus. So she’s not living in her own home with her parents.

Ashley is a beautiful person. It’s not easy to see the beauty, but I’ve seen it and got a good look at it yesterday. My hope is that Ashley can come to see the beauty within herself, too. I’m concerned that there those along her broken road that has suggested there is very little beauty, but they’re wrong. Very wrong. I pray she will be lead along the broken road to the one who will love her most deeply and purely. Ashley is deeply loved.

If you would like to listen to Ashley’s favorite song, here you go. Great song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohMln1Vvt7I

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