Absorbing from a distance

I am sitting in the office with a tea in hand, down the hall way I hear the loud banging and chatting of kids. Each in their group, the littlest group discussing what they remember from the bible study on Tues, the oldest group watching a video of Francis Chan talking about eternity as they begin their bible study. The loudest group is up to their regular jumping and banging around upstairs, they are the  7+8’s, although they constantly debate the name as some of them are 9 or almost 7, so I have told them to come up with their own new name, they have yet to decide upon one. The 9 and 10 boys are downstairs and their leader is teaching them about talking with Jesus and they are quietly writing out their own personal prayers.

It’s in these distant moments as I listen from down the hall that I have space to think, to pray. Today we are fully enforced with leaders, leaders who genuinely care for the kids, who come early to help with pickups, who come even though I don’t have any more hours left to pay them, they come just to be here, to be present.

This is the beauty of what I get to see every day. The beauty of the little one’s spilling in through the door and racing down the hallway, hands in the air, racing to be the first to meet me with a hug, their mouths all at ones shouting out story’s from their day, or calling me to notice their new haircut to the bracelet around their wrist.

The moments I catch from a distance, of their eyes peering up at a 16 year old looking for help, wisdom, leadership, and love and watching that 16 year old give back to them whatever they have to give.

Just the other day I was reminded of one of these moments as I sat in the office talking with one of my 16 year old leaders who had taken a couple months away from camp due to conflicts with co-workers matched with being overwhelmed in her personal life. Today she was back to talk about coming back to work as a leader. As we discussed the things she had learned in the process and what she was hoping for the future and why she wanted to be a leader I ceased the moment. This young lady dislikes her community and wants to so badly be able to leave it forever. She has seen and experienced so much pain and wants to run away and start fresh.

I told her that my hope for her is that she learns to love her community, to embrace the brokenness, to hold it close and to love the place and to love the people. Instead of leaving, I want her to stay! Because in staying she has a say into the future lives of those who live there and what this community will become. 

That it is beauty of who Streetleaders! The ones who want better for the kids and youth so much that they pour themselves out to make this happen! They share who they are, they give of their time, personality, talents, and gifts to creative a community of love, family and of hope.