Resiliency

Kids are so resilient.  I say this because I have three of my own, and I see them bounce back from setbacks so easily.  I say this because I am a teacher, and I see kids day after day walk into my classroom and try, adapt, and progress.  I say this because I am in a ministry that sees kids smile and laugh after being broken and hurt by the ones they love.

I have recently been working very closely with a newly homeless young man.  He is somehow so optimistic about his future, yet when I see the path that lies ahead of him I see nothing but struggle and strife.  Then again, what do I know....I know what I have, and what I have lived through, and what I have been blessed with, and my goals are not the same as his.  His priorities are very different from mine, and while some of that comes from age and wisdom (or lack thereof), it also comes from living in a culture that I will never understand because I have never really had to go without.

And the truth is, I know he can overcome what is before him, because I have seen it happen.  My husband recently had the opportunity to meet with a young man that we ministered to over four years ago.  He aged out of foster care, and had no where to go.  He got in trouble, spent some time in jail, and went down some dark roads.  Eventually learned how to make the best for himself.  He just proposed to a girl, who he recently had a baby with.  He has a full time job and is trying to do right by his new family.

Resiliency is a gift from God.  I pray that this new young man will find his way like my other friend did.  I pray that he will lean on God during the hard times, and trust that God will get him through the struggles.  I pray that in a few years, I will be writing about his successes because he was able to rise above the unfair hand he has been dealt.  I pray that he will be resilient.

Speaking praise through it all

How you respond when something bad happens tells you (and the people around you) a lot about who you really are as a person.  It shows what you put your faith in....It shows if you seek revenge or redemption....it shows where your heart is.

Last month I had money stolen from me at school.  It was $319, and it was money I was planning to deposit in the ministry's bank account.  After viewing the video tapes, it was very clear who took the money.  It was a boy from the house.  The video also shows the boy give half the money to another boy from the house...so now two were involved.  My heart was broken....the very boys we were working to help were stealing their own money from me.

When the house was contacted and the boys were confronted, the second boy immediately confessed....He knew the money was stolen, but he did not know from who (not that it should really matter-- but it did to him).  A few other boys who they had split the money up with immediately went to their rooms to return their portion of the loot (they too, were not going to steal from Ms. Lindsay-- my heart healed a little). We were able to get back $110, we had a good long talk with the boys, and got heartfelt apologies from a few.

A few days later, a cop showed up at my class.  There was the issue of pressing charges against the boys.  Ryan and I talked about it and decided we did not want to do that.  I got all kinds of reactions from that:

"You have too" I was told.  By not pressing charges I was: 

1. helping to create lifelong criminals

2. being accepting of their actions 

3. not upholding the law

4. not teaching them a lesson

5. preventing them from getting the help they needed

Some of these things may or may not be true. Which ever the case, we chose to go with forgiveness.

The truth is, these kids already had a rap sheet a mile long, so one more slap on their wrist was not going to phase them.  We chose to talk to them, show them the bigger picture, show them kindness and forgiveness, and let them know that there is a better way to live, and that there were people in their life who were not going to give up on them.  

Did they listen...yes

Did it change things....no (the same boy was caught in another teacher's desk later the next week)

But did we change someone's heart in the process....I hope so.

A lot of people heard our message through this ordeal.  We were able to preach forgiveness and redemption to all the boys and spread our beliefs though the staff at the house and to teachers and administrators at my school.  

"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen" Peter 4:11

Hopefully, when it was all said and done, someone had ears that could hear God's good news.

Through God's Eyes

I love how this ministry allows me to see kids differently.

There is a student at my school, who happens to live in the house, that does not have the best reputation on campus. Some have confided in me that they actually fear him.

When they say this though, I laugh...I see this kid as the one who showed me his ichthys fish pendant the first time I met him and told me it was one of the few possessions he carried with him from home. I see him as the kid who stood beside me and served food at Salvation Army.  As we filled plates with food he confided in me that he and his family had lived in a "place like this" before.  I see him as the kid who willingly says hello every time he sees me in the halls at school.

This is not a kid to fear...this is a kid who needs to be seen, and loved, and heard.  God sees all these children and He needs us to see them, too.

Bowling Blessing

On New Year's Day, we were blessed with being invited by SH to go bowling with the kids.  It was a pretty easy outing... everyone had fun, strikes were scored, and stories were shared.

However, it was at the end of the event that I spotted God in one of the boys.  Each group of bowlers were given a huge bag of popcorn to share....and as you know, when popcorn is served it usually ends up everywhere besides your mouth.  As we were waiting for the last group to finish their games, one of the boys noticed the bowling alley workers coming over to clean up.  He then looked down and saw all the popcorn.  He walked up to the worker, took the broom and dust pan out of her hand, and proceeded to clean all eight lanes we had occupied.  Another kid saw him working and came over to help.  My husband and kids also joined in the cleaning.

It was a small act, but it did not go unnoticed. God works in all ways big and small.  This boy was able to bless the worker,  and in doing so, showed his appreciation and humility.  I am thankful for him and I am thankful God gave me eyes to see him.

Ice Skating Parable

Over Christmas break we took the kids at SH ice skating.  This was a first time experience for many of the kids and it was amazing to watch.  Some went around the rink gripping the side with terror in their eyes, while others took to it naturally and sprinted around the rest of us like pros.  One boy, who was easily three times larger than Ryan, shakily went around the rink holding on to Ryan's hand with a death grip.

Seeing all the kids react to the same situation differently reminded me of the sower of seeds parable in the Bible.

Some of the kids came to the rink, knowing the ice existed and that they had full access to it, but did not have any interest in joining in the activity.

Other kids came to the rink, put on skates, and gave it a try...but when they realized it was difficult, or they fell and got hurt or wet, they easily gave up because they did not want to put in the work, or be judged by others for not being instantly good.

Other kids came to the rink, put on skates and persevered.....even though they sucked at it, even though they were soaking wet from falling so many times, even though others (who had already given up) on the sidelines were making fun of them....they kept trying.

And still others, came to the rink, put on skates and instantly took to the activity.  They were naturally blessed with a skill and embraced it.

Very few of us fall into the last category when it comes to following God...if you are one of them, thank God right now.  Many of us fall into one of the other three categories.

How we react to everyday situations says a lot about how we react to God.  He is in everything we do.  How are you responding to Him today?