Their Perspective

I recently learned a lesson from Hannah. I tend to learn something new from her every day. Many of the days, it tends to be a lesson in patience. (We're potty training, attempting to get rid of "passy", trying to leave "Emmy" behind some, she's 2, etc, etc, etc). Should you need a lesson in patience, I'll be happy to let you borrow Hannah for the day...:) But my lesson...It actually turned into a spiritual lesson for me. She was standing at the refrigerator door clearing asking for something. Except it wasn't so clear to me what she was asking for. Normally I have no problems deciphering what it is she needs. But this particular day I couldn't figure it out. I pointed to Dora Yogurt. "No mommy". I pointed to cheese. "No mommy." I pointed to Crystal light which she calls 'drink.' "No mommy." I pointed to pickles. "No mommy." I then started pointing to anything: sour cream, butter (which she would eat by the handfuls if I would let her), and anything else in my refrigerator. It was clear that Hannah was becoming frustrated with me and honestly I felt bad becuase I could NOT figure out what she wanted. Then it hit me, let me get on her level and see what it is. So I got on my knees and placed my head right beside her head so that we were cheek to cheek. I then turned my head just like hers and looked in the refrigerator. Well how about that. From where she was standing, she was looking through the glass shelves and seeing the bottom of the 2nd shelf. So on the 2nd shelf in the back of the refrigerator was a container of chocolate pudding. She saw it through the bottom of the shelf. When I was on her level, it was as clear as day to me as well. So I quickly jumped up and said, "Do you want pudding Hannah?" She excitedly declared "yeah mommy, yeah, yeah. PWEASE?" Well who would deny the child chocolate pudding after all that work?

This lesson later hit me as I was reflecting on some of our students in our youth group. We have a group of students that are bussed in every week. I would love to tell you that they are met at the door with open arms. But that is not always the case if I'm being honest with you. They are loud, they are rough and they do NOT know how to act in church (or at least the way most of us THINK they should act). Some of our youth leaders have grown weary in being "the bad cop." Thus they have become tired of having to sit with them and constantly stay on them. So, I felt like it became my job. I began sitting with them on Wednesday nights. It's certainly exhausting. It's a constant reminder that they have to listen when others are talking, that they have to obey the rules that are laid out before them. You have to love with tough love and in the same breath, embrace them and love on them as well. Each week we give them a food item and a drink out of our cafe. It's a constant reminder that they can't be demanding to our youth workers who are giving them the food. It is like parenting all night long to 20-30 students. It all came together for me this Wednesday night. I had text David during service. (We had a special group ministering that night and yes, I was disobeying and text David.) The kids were acting up and I couldn't handle them by myself. He unfortunately didn't get my text, because he never came to my rescue. It came time for the alter call and as soon as the guest speaker said, "anyone need to come pray about these areas", one of "those students" literally walked as fast as she could to the altar. She happens to be one of the leaders. They all listen to what she says. So I sat there for a while. Then the Lord reminded me of my lesson with Hannah. When I got down on Hannah's level to look in the fridge, I was able to see the "prize." I sensed the Lord calling me to get down on their level tonight and He would allow me to see the "prize." So I walked up and asked LeLe what she needed prayer for. This is what she said, "I'm tired of running, I'm tired of running." I happened to have known that a couple of weeks ago she ran away for 5 days. Her dad didn't know where she was and had eventually had to call the police. For the first time since we've been with this youth group, my heart broke for this child. Tears streamed down her face and she could barely look me in the eyes. I embraced her and prayed with her. Eventually I felt the Lord prompt me to bring David over to where we were praying. I told her that David was going to embrace her and I wanted her to imagine that this was God embracing her and loving on her. When David put his arms around this child, this extremely tough leader of the pack, began to weep. Her walls began to crumble.

Will this completly change this entire group? It may, it may not. It may take years before we truly know what happened in LeLe's life Wednesday night. All I know is that I learned when we get down on their level and we put our cheek up to their cheek and we look at life through their eyes, the whole perspective changes. Life all of a sudden looks a little different.

I pray I never loose this perspective. I pray I always remember to place my cheek by their cheek so that my eyes can see what they see! I want to know their perspective. It's not a lesson simply about our students who arrive by bus. It's about those that we encounter daily.