Tuesday, March 8, 2011

here's to having some answers

Most of the time I don't have the answers to kid's questions. (But I'm reading C.S Lewis's book "The Problem of Pain" so I'll have all the answers to life's most difficult questions by tomorrow.) Every once in a while however, I do have the answers to kid's questions, so this post is about those.
A couple months ago a teen came to me upset and very stressed out. She didn't know how she was going to graduate high school because she didn't have enough volunteer hours. I was able to inform her that all that baby sitting she did last summer for free counts. His demeanour changed drastically and we were able to joke around after that. The stress that was so overwhelming before, gone.
Around christmas time a young woman came to me and told me about her nightmares. They were terrible, horrible things that had been and were effecting her day to day life for years. With a huge smile on my face I told her that because of Jesus and his power, she didn't need to be afraid anymore. She gave her fear to Jesus and just last week told me that she hasn't had a nightmare since!
It's an incredible feeling. Stating simple truth, and seeing that truth set people free!
I was able to look across the small starbucks table at the girl sitting across from me who was barely holding it together. I took out a piece of paper and wrote on it "Forgiven". I handed it to her. The tears spilled over as I explained to her that Jesus chose to forgive her, she can chose to live in that forgiveness. Those tears were cleansing tears and she stepped into God's river of life, and felt forgiveness wash over her for the first time. Set free.
So here is to having some answers! I try to remember these moments as often as I can. Because I don't know what to say when a young girl who has been victimized looks as me with tears in her eyes and scars on her wrists, saying "why me?" I don't know if there is anything to say at all. I just hold their hands, and cry along with them.

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