02/08/2024
Let me share a story.
June 2023, the Lord tugged on my heart to begin serving on Monday nights at the juvenile detention as a chaplain. I had no idea what was ahead, but I knew it was my what's next. The boys have become a blessing. I usually never ask what brought them to this place in life directly, in time they share their stories through lessons, discussions, and time. A few months back I met a young man that seemed to have "bad days" often. I'd encourage him to.join, connect, and just be present. He began to open up. One of the most powerful discussions we've had to date was over a lesson on wisdom. Who came we turn to that is wise? Who can we rely on to help us make wise decisions? Who is that wise person that can call us out in our foolishness and talk us straight? He replied, "no one." I went through a laundry list of possibilities. He responded, "no" to everyone. I gave him an assignment to think of the week to whom he could rely on when he got home that he could ask to be that person. A week later I checked in "no one." Over the last few months that resonated with me. It gave me a new perspective on how I interacted with these boys. My perspective on why they were in this situation. Over the last couple of weeks, he's had some hard days. I asked him what I could do to make it just a little bit easier. I encouraged him to find some joy in each day. Then, one day he said, "I have court on Feb. 6 and nobody is going to show up. Will you come?" At that point, I believed him. Well, Tuesday I showed up and brought a friend. He was right. Mr. Ray and Ms. Tonya showed up. We Sat and watched as 5 people that knew on various levels, mostly negative, decided his fate. I only knew him as a kind, young man with a story that would break anyone and sense of remorse and insight that only if. His face entering the courtroom, 😩. He looked right at me. The plea, the judgement, and the what's next almost brought me to tears. He got up, turned around, and stopped, looked at me and dropped his head. He walked to the door. The police officer opened. He took two steps, turned around, looked through the glass in the door, and I felt a tear fall down my cheek. His face broke me in that moment. To face such circumstances without any family. He was right. I'm not here to judge, but wow. And so today at 9 am, Ms. Tonya and Mr. Ray are showing up. He will be sentenced as an adult and unfortunately heading to prison. If only...
I'm learning that sometimes our why in life situations shows up years later. I'm learning that these promptings to show up come when I least expect it. I'm thankful for the encouragement that you all bring to this journey. I've learned that hard is different for each person and life has knocked most of us down on several occasions. I've learned that there are so many kids that are navigating life on their own at such a young age. Parent trauma, unhealthy relationships, learning difficulties in school, and so much more have brought them to the juvenile detention center. These are the kids that live in our city. God doesn't call us because we have it all together. He calls us because he knows our hearts. We're learning on the job.
So today at 9 am, I'll be at the Courthouse. Pray for peace for all involved and mercy. God's not done with us yet.
