I recently found out that a 14-year-old boy, Johnny, from our congregation left his home because his stepfather had been abusing him severely. Now he is living with Alejandra the woman who brings the children to our after church program almost every Sunday. I see God at work in Alejandra. She helps everyone around her without question. She gives even when she has nothing to give. Johnny is not the only young person living with her and her already large family due to problems at home. Alejandra, who hardly has enough to get by, welcomes others with open arms into her home.
It turns out that Johnny did not have shoes to wear to school so Alejandra’s son gave Johnny his own shoes to wear leaving himself without shoes. Our pastor’s wife heard about this and wanted to do something to help. We want to make sure the children have everything they need to go to school! She told Alejandra to bring Johnny and Ivan to church and they would go together to buy new shoes for school. Johnny, Ivan, Anai, and Martin ended up coming to church all needing new shoes.
Our pastor’s wife, Chabela, took them to an outlet shoe store and told them that they could each pick out whatever pair of new shoes they wanted. When the kids heard this they were so surprised! They have never really had the opportunity to pick out their own shoes. They all had such a wonderful time trying on new shoes, modeling pairs to each other, and narrowing down until they found that perfect pair.
Chabela shared with me that the kids felt such joy and happiness that day picking out a simple pair of tennis shoes. They were so grateful and proud to be able to wear their new pair of tennis shoes out of the store. Their old shoes were so bad they needed to be trashed. This past Sunday I got to see the new shoes in action and they looked great.
What a great gift to share with these youth. Not only did they get something that they really needed but for an afternoon they got to experience some happiness in their difficult living situations. That is something that we try to do at our after church program. We want to kids to understand that they are important and that they deserve to be happy.
This story reflects what I have been seeing, feeling, and learning this year. I have learned to appreciate joys such as buying shoes. Everyday things that I used to take for granted I now am thankful for like loving parents, an education, a warm shower, a working toilet, a heater, a bed, shoes, and food.
I also see now that problems or situations I used to worry and fret about before are now meaningless. I have learned that there are more important problems and situations happening in this world and that I need to do what I can to help solve them instead of worrying only about my own personal life.
That doesn’t mean that I have to go to a foreign country in order to help either. There are people within our own communities that need just as much help as the people here. I realize that I was putting so much time and effort into worrying about my own life that I became blind to the people around me that needed help. There are so many little things I could have been doing in my own community to help others like donating old clothes and coats, helping at food shelters, or even just taking time to listen to someone living in a difficult situation whether that is poverty or loneliness.
The people here have shown me a picture of what God calls us to do. He calls us to LOVE everyone unconditionally and to ACCEPT others without question like Alejandra. He calls us to GIVE freely of our TIME and to SHARE what God has given to us with those less fortunate like Chabela. He calls us to LEARN to take PLEASURE in simple joys like the kids shopping for shoes.
This month’s scripture quotes for thought:
It turns out that Johnny did not have shoes to wear to school so Alejandra’s son gave Johnny his own shoes to wear leaving himself without shoes. Our pastor’s wife heard about this and wanted to do something to help. We want to make sure the children have everything they need to go to school! She told Alejandra to bring Johnny and Ivan to church and they would go together to buy new shoes for school. Johnny, Ivan, Anai, and Martin ended up coming to church all needing new shoes.
Our pastor’s wife, Chabela, took them to an outlet shoe store and told them that they could each pick out whatever pair of new shoes they wanted. When the kids heard this they were so surprised! They have never really had the opportunity to pick out their own shoes. They all had such a wonderful time trying on new shoes, modeling pairs to each other, and narrowing down until they found that perfect pair.
Chabela shared with me that the kids felt such joy and happiness that day picking out a simple pair of tennis shoes. They were so grateful and proud to be able to wear their new pair of tennis shoes out of the store. Their old shoes were so bad they needed to be trashed. This past Sunday I got to see the new shoes in action and they looked great.
What a great gift to share with these youth. Not only did they get something that they really needed but for an afternoon they got to experience some happiness in their difficult living situations. That is something that we try to do at our after church program. We want to kids to understand that they are important and that they deserve to be happy.
This story reflects what I have been seeing, feeling, and learning this year. I have learned to appreciate joys such as buying shoes. Everyday things that I used to take for granted I now am thankful for like loving parents, an education, a warm shower, a working toilet, a heater, a bed, shoes, and food.
I also see now that problems or situations I used to worry and fret about before are now meaningless. I have learned that there are more important problems and situations happening in this world and that I need to do what I can to help solve them instead of worrying only about my own personal life.
That doesn’t mean that I have to go to a foreign country in order to help either. There are people within our own communities that need just as much help as the people here. I realize that I was putting so much time and effort into worrying about my own life that I became blind to the people around me that needed help. There are so many little things I could have been doing in my own community to help others like donating old clothes and coats, helping at food shelters, or even just taking time to listen to someone living in a difficult situation whether that is poverty or loneliness.
The people here have shown me a picture of what God calls us to do. He calls us to LOVE everyone unconditionally and to ACCEPT others without question like Alejandra. He calls us to GIVE freely of our TIME and to SHARE what God has given to us with those less fortunate like Chabela. He calls us to LEARN to take PLEASURE in simple joys like the kids shopping for shoes.
This month’s scripture quotes for thought:
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Galatians 5:13-15
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:16-20
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up you mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. Romans 14:13
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45
This month’s quotes for thought:
Love cannot remain by itself- it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service. Whatever form we are—able or disabled, rich or poor- it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. A lifelong sharing of love with others. Mother Teresa
Be the change you want to see in the world. Gandhi
All journeys of soul lead us to the smallest moment of the most ordinary day. Sue Monk Kidd, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. Francis of Assisi
Some pictures of the people from the story:
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| (L to R) Lucas, Franco, Me, and Ivan |
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| Alejandra with two cute angels at the Christmas pageant |
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| Martin (L) and Johnny (R) playing soccer (the two talk boys) |
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| Anahi and Martin |
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| Chabela holding up the words to our lunch time prayer |
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