When they come home who will be waiting on them?

I know we have conditioned ourselves to believe serving youth looks one way. Traditional Afterschool programs. Boy and Girl Scouts. Sports. Church and community groups.

But, what does it look like to let them tell you what they need and when they need it? I get it. Kids need structure. They need accountability. They need high standards. They need discipline. They ALSO need an always welcoming spirit. They need to know that no matter how far they go or how long they stay away, they can always come home.

I wonder what our world would look like if more people believed they could come “home?” It reminds me of The Prodigal Son. While many talk about all the foolish things the son did while away, how ungrateful he was, how entitled even… my heart swells to be reminded of a father who said none of that matters. He was just grateful his son knew he could come home.

I won’t lie. This work beats me down often (like right now). As I type this I’m tired. I’m exhausted. I’m weary. Folks will encourage me to take a break. I really want to. But the youth we serve don’t have lives they can vacate from. If I’m “off” who is “on” for them? Who picks up the baton, the phone? Answer the need? Pick up and drop off when they are begging for support to make a wiser decision? For some of them a week off could break them simply because access is important. And in addition to the conditions of some of their lives and homes and families, my heart is grieved more times than I care to admit because there aren’t too many others I can call to say “will you be on call 24/7? It could mean life or death for a few of them”. I lament on where they are and who they are with. I grow frustrated when other adults assume “someone else got it”. I am infuriated at the idea of having to convince adults with means why the need to fund programming that is 24/7 is imperative. I’m so grateful your children are home. What about those who don’t have anyone to care? I fuss at them (the adults too). Get real close to forgetting I didn’t physically birth them when I want to discipline them a certain way (read between the lines ). But I also answer the phone each time they call even if my answer to their question is “no”. I get creative when they have a real need and we have limited resources. I fight for them. I fight over them. I dare someone to say something out of the way about them. I pray for them. I cover them. I protect them. I love them. I just wish more would do the same for them.