Recent Reflections.

After all the years I had been wanting to come to work in America, this would be the last place I would've thought I'd find myself. A tea-drinking, dress only wearing, Pride & Prejudice loving Yorkshire lass thrown into inner city urban youth ministry. In everyway, I am completely opposite to these kids but am compelled by a love greater than my insecurities and physical boundaries to do my best to give them some hope. 

Just yesterday, I volunteered to help at a different camp with Urban Promise as mine is closed whilst the leaders are recruiting interns for the summer. Myself and Joni had to walk to meet them at a designated point so that we could all walk to the camp together. I had never been to this camp before, and wasn't sure that I knew any of the kids. As we were walking down a street I had never before walked down, I suddenly heard a chorus of 'MISS SARAHHHHHH,' followed by two kids running towards me and throwing their arms around me. I guess I had met some of them before! The two of them came on the retreat I attended a couple of weeks ago, but never in my wildest dreams had I thought they would remember me. I think I sat with them perhaps for an hour that entire weekend. 

As we walked, one of the girls I had just met promptly grabbed my hand and would not let go for the duration of the journey. What really struck me was, as she was sweetly holding my hand - she was also making threats to one of the other girls if she 'rolled her eyes ONE MORE TIME!!!!' I had to explain to her that sometimes in life, we might have to learn to love people we don't like. That's a hard lesson for anyone, let alone a 5th grader I just met 5 minutes ago. 

'According to Jesus, in the hierarchy of spiritual acts and activities, love tops them all. Move over virginity, church attendance, group dating, morning devotions and crucifixion jewelry. Love is the new king of the mountain.

That means we don’t get to ignore the co-worker who drives us crazy, despise the neighbor who parties too loudly, condemn the relative who votes differently than we do or hate the boss who makes life miserable. Whether we like a person or not, we are commanded to love.

In the language of grace, love is both the exception and the rule.

If anyone knew how to love people who weren’t very likable, it was Jesus. After all, He spent three years in the company of Judas, who was stealing, manipulating and scheming to betray Him.' (Taken from here)

I was sat a few days ago at my own Urban Promise camp with one of the 5th graders who was writing down some goals for his future. I told him about how when I was in High School, I wrote a list like that of my own:

Eight years ago, I knew what I wanted to do and I worked hard to get there. I never knew how it would look, where it would take me or who it would take me to. It hit me in that moment as I told him about my list and how I had achieved it all.  I saw the smile appear on his face as he thought about the things he could do and that was so exciting for me. I realised as we were talking that I needed to add a few things to my list! 

Here I am, so far from home - knowing that I'm having these conversations with kids who might not hear a positive word that day, especially the kids who come to the YFC Center. I may think of these words as insignificant but to someone who has no or little hope, who knows what might come of that. This may not be a place that I would ever have chosen for myself, but I am sure that I can find enough reasons to love it, even if I don't always like it!