Poor unfortunate soul
My heart is troubled for our youth. Working at Atlanta Bread has really opened my eyes to the challenges and difficulties teens are facing, making me realize how amazingly sheltered and fortunate I was almost a decade ago, I never had to go through what some of these kids are going through. The hardest part to know is that they are doing it alone. I had a relationship with the Lord to help me through the difficult times in my life. I couldn't imagine doing it alone.
There is this fairly new guy, I'll just call him "Moe". I think he started a few days before I left for my trip to Ireland/Spain. Before I left, I do remember talking to him, and the kid had worn his heart on his sleeve, telling me things like how he struggled in school, and how his parents kicked him out of the house when he turned 18, and I'm sure a few other sob stories. It didn't hit me too hard the first time I worked with him, but last night Moe told me more things that have happend.
I asked him why he was so quiet, and he said that he had a pretty rough week. After getting kicked out of the house, he had been sleeping in parks. He had brought a pocket knife to school, and one of his buddied ratted him out and so he was arrested and expelled. Two weeks before he would have graduated! His parents let him come back home, but things between them and him are apparently still rocky.
This kid has got the most sweet innocent face, minus some wild hair, you wouldn't suspect that his life is being ripped apart at the seems. But it is. I'm sure he's got to be undergoing some depression, and feelings of rejection, abandoment, and loneliness.
After his shift was over, one of his school mates who works with us, told me that he joined the trench coat mafia. How sad. He also said that he carries around handcuffs, and when question about them, Moe said he was meeting up with some girl later. This might imply a sexual addiction. The good thing is that he also told me that Moe has been going to a youth group every Tuesday night. So at least he's searching. He's got to be looking for something, and he's probably more open to the word then others may be.
This kid has been on my mind all last night and when I woke up this morning. I want to desparately help him somehow. I want to tell him that he is loved. That God can fill that emptiness and relieve some of his pain. I want to tell him that he can make his life better, that he doesn't have to keep living this way. He hap the potential to make a change for the good. I want to give him hope and I want to show him the way.
I can't do it without God working though me though. I am praying hard for this kid. He needs Jesus really badly. Please pray for him to, and that God present an opportunity for me to reach him somehow.


0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home