things in perspective

This is a story about Billy(we have decided not to use our kids real names in our blogs because of several reasons, one reason is so that if anyone that ever reads these things decides to come down and help out they won't recognize one of the kids names and be like, "Oh, you are (insert name here). Aren't you the one that isn't potty trained?", thus humiliating him/her and them never coming back). Billy comes consistently to our junior-high/high-school after school program on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

This past Tuesday it was 3:30 or so and several of our high-school kids had already made their way to the mission. Due to the difference in when school dismisses, the high-schoolers generally get to the mission around 3:00 or 3:15ish, whereas the junior-high kids usually make their way to the mission arond 4:00ish. Billy, being a junior-higher, would normally get to the mission around 4:00, but not today. I spotted Billy in the back of the mission putting in some pretty serious work on our newly acquired swingset. Billy spotted me peeking out the window and motioned for me to join him. So I did. Seeing as how our kids have a knack for, "missing the bus", "being sick", "and their dog eating their homework", I was primed and ready to hear just what major catastrophe was holding Billy back from attending school that day.

"My dad didn't wake me up this morning", Billy sheepishly told me. Being my wise and considerate self I quickly returned with, "Oh really Billy? You are 13 years old and your dad wakes you up for school?" Awesome Luke, you really nailed him on that one. Two things I failed to consider, first of all, I'm pretty sure my mom woke me up for school until I was well into high-school. Secondly, I didn't consider Billy's home life. You see, Billy lives directly next door to a drug-house (we are starting to think that it may not be such a coincidence that his family lives where they do), neither of his parents work and, honestly, Billy has alot more pressing issues to deal with then keeping his school attendance flawless. So, after I tried to backtrack a little bit and not sound so judgemental, I sat and talked to Billy for a while. Not a long time, but long enough to learn about why his dad had to wake him up for school and why that morning he didn't. I got to hear about what he knew about the people who lived next door to him in the "drug house". I got to hear about his parents. I got to know about the things that were really the problem.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that before we attack people for the decisions they make, or in my case attack little boys for not going to school, maybe it would be best to consider the whole picture or to know exactly what is going on underneath the topic of discussion. Maybe once we know a little bit more about the underlinging problems and concerns people have in their lives we can confront the biggest need in their lives, Jesus Christ.

I will keep you posted on how Billy continues to hear and experience about his real need in life. Who knows, maybe someday Billy will accept Christ.