November 3, 2014

 

“Do gang bangers go to Heaven?” she asked

Yesterday in Bible study I was all set to lead my girls, grades 2nd - 6th, through our November Bible verse “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.” Psalm 118:24 We were going to talk about gratitude. About how all good things come from the Lord. How God is good even when things don’t go our way.

But the girl’s talk quickly turned to the topic of Halloween. The scary part of Halloween. Rapid fire questions: Why does the devil have a holiday? Do people worship the devil? Question after question… Do people who worship the devil go to Hell? Do people who do bad things go to Hell?

Then a 5th grader asked with great intensity, “Do gang bangers go to Heaven?” Her intensity felt personal. She explained to the younger girls about the Crips and Bloods who have an intense and bitter rivalry.

What a beautiful way to share that the blood of Jesus covers all sin, past, present and future - when we give our lives, hearts and souls to him. That we all sin but by His grace, He covers all.

She listened intently, then said “So…. if you love Jesus and give your life to Him, you won’t want to be a gang banger anymore.” She prayed over the group and thanked God for the girls, Homework Center and for loving us.

How grateful to have the time and space of Homework Center to talk about what THEY want to talk about. To ask the hard questions. To share TRUTH and HOPE>

• I am a Child of God
• I am saved by Grace
• Filled with the Holy Spirit
• Overcomer
• Set Free
• The Light of the World
• Beloved
• Chosen
• Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

-smt

October 6, 2014

The Power of a Handshake Something so insignificant can mean so much. Handshakes are a common thread at the Homework Center and on a daily basis you will see handshakes being utilized in a variety of ways. Two new volunteers meeting each other for the first time, a volunteer shaking hands with a child, teenagers greeting the staff, and on and on. Even though it may seem so typical, handshakes at the homework center more often than not can be extraordinary. Last year, the staff and I really tried to drive home the idea of introductions. How to properly state your name and title when speaking to someone new. To my surprise, these children desperately lacked these needs; basic communication needs. So the handshake became a powerful tool to teach confidence. For the first time, these children were able to tell you who they were. That they WERE someone. Not just a kid in the crowd. The results were beautiful to watch. I have witnessed our students shake hands with strangers (not only strangers, but important individuals) and be confident to tell that person who they were. Yesterday, the handshake again proved to be powerful in another way. A teen that is new to the program (the one which I blogged about in an earlier post) is starting to blossom. His confidence and character are coming alive in a powerful way. Not without a struggle though. Just to sum things up, life is not easy for this boy. He deals with a life that I know nothing about and can’t even begin to recognize with. But there is hope. Amidst the massive culture differences between him and I, God has brought us together. He has been gracious to allow this teen to open up and ask for help. So I made a deal with him. I explained that the road ahead of him would not be easy and that for him to be able to get out of his circumstances would take a lot of dedication and tenacity. I explained that if tried his best and didn’t stop, I would do whatever it took to get him out of the circumstances he is in and on to a job and a life that will allow him to flourish and live abundantly. A life that glorifies the lord. And we shook on it.

September 11, 2014

Special Moments During Bible time we were talking to the kids about the message “You are not a mistake”. God created the Heavens, the earth, and everything else on earth including each one of us. And if God is perfect and Holy then He doesn’t make mistakes. Nothing about you or about your situation makes you a mistake. When the students were asked if they ever felt like they were a mistake, a 5th grade girl was vulnerable enough to raise her hand amongst the large group and say ” Yes, I feel like I am a mistake.” Reach4Hope leaders were able to minister to her the truth and she left with a smile. Never underestimate the power of God’s Word spoken to someone!

September 9, 2014

We never know what is truly happening underneath. We never know the complexity of a situation or the pain anchored behind it. But God allowed me to see a glimpse of it today, and it reminded me. I see kids and teens everyday dealing with tough life situations. I see brokenness, hopelessness, and a lot of inner pain. But sadly more often than not the child/teen holds it inside. Lets it fester and continue to hold them captive. It’s truly heartbreaking to watch. But how many times in my own life have I done the same? Most of the time the child/teen remains quiet about issues because they personally cannot deal with it or physically cannot describe or explain how they feel. So it comes out in other facets. Anger, rage, shame, guilt are just some of the examples of the backlash of inner hurt. All we can do is just try to slowly work through these issues. Try to estimate and understand what might be the problem festering inside. I would be lying if I said it was an easy process. A process of slow and continual work is hard and requires lots of failure. But sometimes God is surprising. He does things that are shocking and not what you would ever expect. Yesterday a new teen came to the Homework center. I had met him once before and the impression he gave was that of a teen who was quiet, reserved and wanting to shut everyone out. So in my mind I already wrote him out as just another teen that refuses to engage. But something amazing happened. In a passing greeting of hello to him, a conversation began to unfold. A conversation beginning with thoughts that everyone hated him and that he could only trust himself. He was angry. He was numb. Numb to the fact that he described feeling nothing. Feeling he could never love again, or never again have friends. All of this seems to wrap around one event occurring last year that has shaken this kid to the point of absolute hopelessness. An event still defining him. Telling him he is not good enough to be wanted or loved by someone. The reality is that many of the kids we see everyday feel this same way. Lost and hopeless looking for somewhere to belong but never knowing how to quite speak it out. But God was surprising yesterday and allowed this young man lost and broken to let it out. To finally speak out the lies he believes and the lies the devil has made him believe. Hope is coming. The devil has no foothold when sin is dragged out into the light. Join with me as we pray and stand with him. Pray that the lord would continue to draw out the sin and allow him to speak it out. Hope is coming.

2014 / 2015

Feeling joyful as I think about Homework Center student, Michael, (not his real name) who will be starting his freshman year at the University of North Texas this Fall. First generation high school graduate and college enrollee in his family. Oldest brother of 5. Role model to many in his circle. We connected with Michael and his family 5 years ago on Cleveland Street, in South Dallas near the apartment building where he lived with his grandmother and 4 siblings. It was a Saturday morning, we were just loving on neighborhood kids, sharing a snack, and the love of Jesus. Through Reach4Hope, Michael has gotten saved, baptized, had a successful high school academic and football experience, and been accepted to 4 four-year colleges. He’s taken driver’s education, been blessed with a functional car, and is now serving at Reach4Hope Homework Center as a Leader. That’s HOPE. That’s changing generational poverty. Together we can do this.