Growing Pains

Have you ever known a young teenager that was having growing pains? I have and it hurts! Yet they know that they are growing up getting taller and they don’t want it to stop they just want it to be over.

Today I feel like I have Spiritual Growing Pains…God does not want me to stay spiritually where I am and neither do I, yet the process is difficult to say the least.

Glenwood is in the midst of Growing Pains.

I see it in the faces of the children and the parents. I see it as I am sitting on my front porch and a man drives up to pick up a young prostitute; I beg her with my eyes and heart not to get in…she turns and says she is sorry and gets in the van. I see it as young lady calls and asks if she can come over and dance, the awkwardness was there for a while, b/c she has given me the cold shoulder for so long… but she pushed through, she danced and I was so proud of her. A mom is seeking financial help, laying aside pride and willing to learn new things so that she can provide a home for her children. A mom is coming to church after seeing how much her kids love it.

I believe that Glenwood has been introduced to Jesus and even though some of them do not recognize it we are all going through growing pains as what was “comfortable and normal” is not any more, and we must choose this day who we will serve!

I choose to serve JESUS no matter what…though doubts and trials and growing pains.

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Masterpiece

Masterpiece

Yesterday morning I was thinking about a Slumber Party that we are having for the Older Girls here in Glenwood, and I was unsure how it was going to turn out but had a feeling (you know that one that just sits on your heart until you acknowledge it) that this was to be different than before.

Two years ago we had a “Princess Party” led by my former roommate and forever friend Donna. The girls heard first hand how much God loves them, and that they loved by Jesus and are indeed “Fine China” and should except no less from any guy. I believe that this lesson is implanted on their hearts even if they do not always live by it.

Examples:

One girl urged her mom not to throw out the tea cup that she was given at the party b/c it reminded her that she was “Fine China”.

Another girl that seems so hard to the world and others, sheepishly asks when we might have another “Princess Party” and remembers how special she felt being escorted by loving Godly men and learning that she is indeed worth waiting for.

“Yet, what do you do when the world continues to tell you that you are NOT “Fine China” that you are NOT a princess of the KING and they vandalize you?” Is the thought that came to me yesterday.

I saw a beautiful MASTERPIECE that represented us, God’s children, and then I saw people coming to the Masterpiece, us, and vandalizing it with all sorts of hurts/sins (words – your stupid you will never amount to anything, your own dad didn’t want you…, actions – abuse in every form, neglect, rape…) And even at times we would vandalize ourselves as we believed these lies from the Evil One.

Well meaning people in our lives would want to help, yet their advice would be to just ignore it, get some white paint and white wash the Masterpiece. While this may seem right in the world’s eyes b/c now the hurt seems to be covered up…but so is the Masterpiece. And the cycle continues in the lives of our girls and myself. That we are hurt so badly yet continue to white wash ourselves until we have completely forgotten that we are a masterpiece under layers and layers of vandalism and “well meaning” white wash.

ENOUGH!!!!

Jesus has come to heal and to restore, He has come to peel back the layers of sin and pain and reveal the masterpiece that He created us to be.

I do not know how this will take form at the Slumber Party, but I do feel led to share this and illustrate it to the girls and use “my story” as the backdrop.

Prayer Requests:
- That I would have courage to speak TRUTH
- That the words would not be mine but God’s
- That the girls would have open hearts
- For women to step up that feel called to be a mentor for these girls
- Bible study and Counseling to be available to the girls
- For peace as hard things are shared and discussed

Learned Apathy

Learned Apathy

Today I found myself in a situation that was scary and frustrating at the same time. Two High School girls from the neighborhood asked for a ride to a store in Greensboro to do some school shopping. It was taking longer than we thought so I informed them that I needed to go home to check on the dog that I was dog sitting and I would be back in 10-15 min. I left and returned 10 minutes later to find that they were no where in the store to be found. While I was looking for them I ran into another member of our church that lives up the street from me in the hood. We began to look for the girls, and I went to area shops around asking if any one had seen them; no one had but was concerned at the time that they had been missing (over and hour at this point.)
We found the girls eventually at a store in another shopping center filling out job applications. They were shocked to say the least that I was worried about them and upset that I had no idea where they were. After I picked them up I brought them back to the store that we were at to begin with and explained to them that the people working there were concerned about them as well, and that they were to go in and apologize for any worry that they had brought to them. The two girls were astonished that I would ask them to do such a thing, yet humbly went in and apologized to the clerks at the store.
On the way home I explained to them that it was not so much that I was upset that they went to another store, but that I couldn’t find them and that I was so concerned and worried and wondering if they were all right. They said they were sorry and tried to let it drop. I could see that they were still confused at the reason for my worry. I explained how I had asked other people if they had see them, and that complete strangers were concerned and wanted to know how to help. One of the girls spoke up at this point and said, “That is not true Suzanne, strangers do not care anything about us.”
This is where the light bulb went off for me. I knew in my heart that they were not being rebellious but at this point it became clear that it was “Learned Apathy”. Their thinking is right in how so many children here in Glenwood have been raised. You are to fend for yourselves no one really cares what you do just don’t interfere with their lives. Many children are taught this from an early age. It breaks my heart when I bring a child to ask his/her parents permission to go somewhere and the parent’s response is I don’t care what you do.
I began to confront the lies through Jesus, that I saw sitting on their tender hearts. “This is not true, you are loved people do care for you, even if they have never met seen you.” I informed my girls. “I understand why you think that it wouldn’t have mattered to anyone where you were or if something had happened to you, but the truth is that there are adults that care.” At this point one of the young ladies smiled and tried to hide it. I was unsure why she smiling and she looked at me and said, “Ms. Suzanne I am not smiling b/c what you said is funny I am smiling b/c I feel special.
We are called as the body of Christ to confront the lies that we and others believe because of this fallen world that we live in. We are called to teach and to embrace those that are broken hearted and some do not even realize that they are. It is not enough to show up at church or to invite a friend to church; while these are things that we are to do we are not called to end there. Jesus was concerned with the poor, with the lost, with those that had nothing and believed that no one cared anything about them. We are called to be a shining light, and to draw others to Jesus.

Jesus told us and showed us by example that: “They will know you’re my disciples by your love for one another!”