Covenant House's mission statement begins as follows: "We who recognize God's Providence and fidelity to His people are dedicated to living out His covenant among ourselves and those children we serve with absolute respect and unconditional love". That's quite a challenge, right? When I first started at the Cov back in 1997, I had never met 17 year old girls with 3 children, never knew heroin addicts, trannies, kids who had committed felonies, kids who had been left in alleys by crack addicted moms...It was unreal and I remember thinking,"How on EARTH can I help THESE kids!?" The answer I have clung to all of these years? "Absolute respect and unconditional love". I think of all the different stories I know among those I servewho are huddled around me in this picture--the pain, the jail time, the family issues, the unexpected babies, the having-to-make-it-on-your-own-at-18 (is anyone ready to do it by themself at 18!?)...and I also think of each kid I see in this picture posted (sorry for the blurred faces=confidentiality of my kids!)...the ability to rise above, the trust I've built w/ some of them, the straight face reception when they have shared their atrocities that would mark them "Criminal!" "Unredeemable!" to others and I just listen and then say,"Yeah, and you are loved anyway". I am no saint but I am so glad--SO GLAD--that I have learned to look past the pasts of these kids, their neighborhoods, their color, their upbringing, and see the beautiful reflection of who they really are=created in the image of God, as we ALL are. I only hope I have been able (and AM able) to reflect that back to them enough...
No comments:
Post a Comment