What a Mess!

I spent a large portion of my day both time and emotions helping one of my grandmas, Molly. I am starting to accept that everyone is capable of doing crazy things that ultimately hurt the ones we love. About a month ago one of Molly’s granddaughters used her account to deposit and then cash a bogus check. The unfortunate thing is that Molly is stuck with this rather large debt. I really don’t think that Molly thought that her granddaughter would ever do anything like this.

This began a journey where I asked a few special friends who helped paint her house last April. A couple of them actually visited Molly to see her situation. She has renal failure and must go to dialysis three times a week. She looks horrible and has little energy and motivation to do much of anything. So these dear friends volunteered to help her get out of a financial mess. I was able to pay most of her bills but her account was still thousands in the ‘rears’.

I knew that I had to have access to her account in order to help her get resolve for the bogus check that had been fraudulently used against her. So we had to go to the Motor Vehicle Department to get an ID, because her license was expired and she didn’t have any info. The bank wouldn’t let her do anything without real ID. So we did this last week and then yesterday we went back to the back to get me permission to help with her account. This process or ordeal for Molly took a couple of hours. The gentleman who helped was awesome but there isn’t any quick way to do this type of transaction to protect Molly and the bank.

I am blessed to have my special friend, Art, who is 80 and a go-getter. So he helped with transporting Molly to the bank and is a great resource to help me stay focused. So now I have the ability starting today to go back and get to the bottom of what happened and get all of her financial affairs in order in a couple of weeks. I know that the real test, which my wife continues to remind me that I could be scammed.

The real question I have to get answered is what really happened? Did Molly allow her granddaughter to do something that was crazy, like help friend cash a check that was in turn declared lost and was able to get twice the amount after a new check was issued. Ether way Molly is the one who is left with a debt for the amount of the check and her granddaughter and friend walked away with a lot of money. I know that it is difficult to believe that someone who you have watched grow up could take advantage of an older person. The answer is that in today’s world this happens all of the time.

Yesterday, in a men’s lunch Bible study we were studying a portion of the prophet Isaiah and the reality is that we live in a corrupt society where the moral fiber and gone out the window. The issues that High Schools struggled with in the 50’s were minor, i.e. respect, not chewing gum, coming to school on time vs. today where it can be coming to school with a weapon, violence, rape and real theft. I am so thankful to be part of a movement of God’s people that are stepping up to do something about social injustice. I love the voice of Micah who declares that God’s heart for man is that we have not just an understanding of mercy, grace and justice but that we actually live it out with a humble heart and mind.