The comforting voice of Mrs. Freda Iwy storms down the hallway as I walk toward my destination. Little voices chattering, pencils writing, papers shuffling, it’s the first day of club. The small cramped, comfortable classroom stand before as 25 heads turn and go into a furry “Mr. Steve!” is heard all over the second floor of Cabrini Green By The Hand Club for Kids.
“I’m home”, my heart tells me. I sit down with my group and begin working on their daily math assignment as one little boy sneaks behind me, puts his arms around my neck and says “Mr. Steven, I’ve missed you.”
These kids come from Chicago’s worst community. Drug deals, shootings, beatings, child abuse, and broken families are the reality of this Chicago neighborhood. The majority of these children have never been shown true love. They’ve heard the gospel, but no one has lived it out in front of them. Most of their parents don’t want them. They go to bed without being told they’re loved. They are seen but never truly heard.
God loves these kids. I love these kids, and in return, one little boy has expressed love to me.
God loves these children, He sent his son to die for these children, He loves them as far as the east is from the west. These children have true hope, true futures, and the potential to reach whatever dreams God has put inside them. But they may never reach those dreams, if they’re never shown his love.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
The Midnight Train
1:03AM
The doors swung open; I crossed the train to an empty seat and slide in. The train departed as I readied myself for the ride home. A man wondering the train confronts
me about who the best basketball player is, which led me feeling uncomfortable, shrugging my shoulders, and turning away. The man sitting next to me turned and mentioned that he would have the same reaction if approached by someone this late. Little did I know, this stranger sitting next to me would spend the next 35 minutes spilling out his life. Chicago/State stop passed as his words and tears began to take shape and my heart broke for the man sitting in the seat opposite me. His came, he shook my hand, “thank you for listening, your quiet mannerisms and gentile heart has touched me this evening.” As the man left, I was overtaken with emotion and began to cry out in prayer for the man I had just encountered. I continued to the next stop, crossed the platform, and prepared to head back home.
Little did I know what was in store.
1:47AM
The train doors parted. Two women appeared in the seats across from the doors, one passed out in her own vomit, the other desperately trying to awaken her friend to get off the train. My mind went into action immediately. My EMT training immediately kicked in as I saw the girl choking. I flew through to her side positioned her body correctly and began to calm her friend. I offered my help which was accepted graciously after an impromptu introduction of myself. Keeping my hands
on the now completely passed out woman's head, a conversation took shape between the coherent woman and I. The conversation immediately was engulfed by tears flowing from my face as this 22 year old woman told me of her eating disorder, drinking habits, and search for purpose in life. She told me of how God must be watching out for them, how they both had encountered death so many times, but somehow they always escaped. Chicago/State approached as I hoisted the unconscious woman around my shoulders and began the walk to their dorm building. As we arrived the unconscious woman’s friend took over, I walked them to the security desk. I said goodnight, and began to turn away when one of the girls grabbed my shoulder, cried into my arm, and said thank you for caring enough to listen, help, and show love to us, we’re so undeserving. “God loves you, I love you, and you do have a purpose in life, it’s found in Christ.”
Even though I didn’t share the gospel with these three individuals, I truly believe God had a purpose for how things played out.
Matt 5:14-16
The doors swung open; I crossed the train to an empty seat and slide in. The train departed as I readied myself for the ride home. A man wondering the train confronts
me about who the best basketball player is, which led me feeling uncomfortable, shrugging my shoulders, and turning away. The man sitting next to me turned and mentioned that he would have the same reaction if approached by someone this late. Little did I know, this stranger sitting next to me would spend the next 35 minutes spilling out his life. Chicago/State stop passed as his words and tears began to take shape and my heart broke for the man sitting in the seat opposite me. His came, he shook my hand, “thank you for listening, your quiet mannerisms and gentile heart has touched me this evening.” As the man left, I was overtaken with emotion and began to cry out in prayer for the man I had just encountered. I continued to the next stop, crossed the platform, and prepared to head back home. Little did I know what was in store.
1:47AM
The train doors parted. Two women appeared in the seats across from the doors, one passed out in her own vomit, the other desperately trying to awaken her friend to get off the train. My mind went into action immediately. My EMT training immediately kicked in as I saw the girl choking. I flew through to her side positioned her body correctly and began to calm her friend. I offered my help which was accepted graciously after an impromptu introduction of myself. Keeping my hands
on the now completely passed out woman's head, a conversation took shape between the coherent woman and I. The conversation immediately was engulfed by tears flowing from my face as this 22 year old woman told me of her eating disorder, drinking habits, and search for purpose in life. She told me of how God must be watching out for them, how they both had encountered death so many times, but somehow they always escaped. Chicago/State approached as I hoisted the unconscious woman around my shoulders and began the walk to their dorm building. As we arrived the unconscious woman’s friend took over, I walked them to the security desk. I said goodnight, and began to turn away when one of the girls grabbed my shoulder, cried into my arm, and said thank you for caring enough to listen, help, and show love to us, we’re so undeserving. “God loves you, I love you, and you do have a purpose in life, it’s found in Christ.”Even though I didn’t share the gospel with these three individuals, I truly believe God had a purpose for how things played out.
Matt 5:14-16
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