Your Love oh Lord

Walking home tonight after camp I was again reminded of the painfully at risk live style so many of the kids and youth I work with live in. Today was another ordinary and what I would call a good day at camp but there still so much to remind me of the type of live so many of the youth in Toronto and all over the world live with.
Yesterday one of my kids mom came to church on her own, after the service I spent some time talking to her. I asked if she was having a nice relaxing weekend with her boys being gone to their fathers. She responded honestly as she told me she was happy they were gone so that she didn't have to worry about them seeing her cry. She told me that she hadn't slept in a few nights due to worry and fear of a circumstance in her live and that sleeping pills were making her feel worse. She was a worried mother who was scared and alone We were able to pray together before she went to talk to the local pastor.

This weekend two young men were shot and killed one in Jane and Finch area and another in Brampton. I don’t know either of these men but I know people from the community who know there names, the young man in Brampton was the cousin of one of my kids. I have never experienced receiving the news that my cousin has been shot and killed and the fact that my kids live in a world were they are no longer shocked my shootings and only saddened and angry by them makes me angry.

Today at camp the realization didn’t stop, as I work and observe my youth I am often concerned by certain repeated behaviours. Behaviours that make me worried about the possibility of emotional or physical abuse at home, eating disorders, and bullying whether it be siblings or other kids at camp. These things remind me of the harsh reality that is true for far to many young kids.
As I reflected on all the mess and brokenness on my walk home I noticed the sky and the clouds and for a brief second I missed the country and the corn field and the simpleness of picking veggies and seeing God in amazing ways through that. But then these lyrics came to mind

Your Love oh Lord reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness stretches to the skies
And your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
Your justice flows like the oceans tide
So I will lift my voice and worship You my King
I will find my strength in the shadow of Your wings

Its hard and painful working with these kids, when I have to talk about hard things with them and I don’t know what to say. When I am overwhelmed with hurt, pain and angry at the hurt, pain and loss in their lives. When I worry about them or have to let them make their own decisions even if I know they will choice to make a bad one. When I am overwhelmed with the brokenness that I see I think of these words and remember that the Lord’s love exceeds mine, that His faithfulness to the kids I love stretches to the sky, that His righteousness is higher then mountains and that His justice flows constant like the oceans tide and so I am able to lift my voice and worship Him, I can find strength in His wings!