Godzilla

After tutoring last week on of the kids came running up to me.

A.B...A.B.!" Juan was out of breath but cut to the chase, "If you take the word Godzilla..."

"Yes?" I prompted, wondering what kind of adventure I was about to go on.

"If you take the word Godzilla and take off the "zilla' -- you have GOD!"

"Indeed you do." I said, trying to keep a straight face. "And what do you think that means?"

"I just don't know." Juan said sincerely, shaking his head.

Juan was so earnest in his discovery and near certain that he had made some sort of bold spiritual discovery.

So after a moment of taking in his wide-eyed wonder I replied, "Yes, I think that's because God is strong - stronger than Godzilla even. Maybe God made that monster name that way so that we would always remember His power."

Juan nodded and seemed confident in this truth. And just maybe, God did it that way.

"God is so powerful," I continued, "Nothing is stronger than God. He is the biggest and the best."

And Juan nodded.

The Good Samaritan

The kids acted out the Parable of the Good Samaritan - click any picture for a larger image.

Animals?

At tutoring each of the kids has a journal that they write in. Every week I take the stack of notebooks home and write back to each child. It is one of the best parts of my week. I love what has been born of this simple correspondence. Some kids write detailed versions of their days at school, others ask for advice and some just draw me simple pictures of monsters and man-eating sharks. One week I asked them to tell me what animal they would be if they could be any animal in the world. These answers will speak for themselves on why there is a smile on my face!



A spinosaurus! Wow - big word for a little guy!



As you can see - I have boys!

Feed

Jesus kept telling Peter, "Feed my lambs. Feed my lambs. Feed my lambs." Now I know that this ancient seaside conversation between a risen Savior and an anxious disciple wasn't referring directly to chicken nuggets and fruit cocktail. It was a call to to nurture and love the people of God. It was, in a sense, the great commission. But perhaps - so is feeding chicken nuggets and fruit cocktail to a huddle of kids. God makes possible the mending of torn bodies, the healing of lost souls and the wholeness of broken beings.

We feed the kids because they are hungry. Families eat together. This is a glimpse into ours.

Joy

This is life. Pure joy is always against the odds. It's a wonder that we even find it at all. But we do because God is the ultimate enigma. He shines in the darkest places.

Today Adam's and my church (Lone Tree Community Church) came and threw the kids a pumpkin party - if you want a taste, take a look at our slide show (HERE). In the midst of a week peppered with violence, intolerance and stories of another child being assaulted there was this incredible window of pure joy that broke through the trappings of humanity and reflected that awesome face of God. Joy does that. Every time.

Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines.
Satchel Paige

Half

It all seemed so symbolic. Such a metaphor for life. My life.

My friend was driving me home after we had taken a crew of kids and set them loose among the rows and rows of books in the public library. We were talking about the mundane and I was absentmindedly letting my eyes wander as we passed dark street corners and city alleys.

"Wait -" I spoke with purpose, "Someone was lying in the middle of that alley. I think - maybe it was just a big piece of trash of something. Can we go back?"

Here in the neighborhood there are always people sleeping, living and often dying in the cracks and crevices of the urban structure. I see it daily. But this time it gave me a start. I don't know why. Perhaps it was because what I thought might be a man lying in an alley refused to process in my mind as "normal". We carefully backed up and turned into the alley.

It was a man - he saw our lights and crawled closer to the edge of the alley. He crawled. And I felt so alone and helpless.

My friend and I volleyed back and forth a few words. Neither of us making much sense. We were just a couple of thirty-something girls - how could we change the world?

"Just drive toward him." I said simply. And I rolled down my window. The man was older but I spoke softly like he was a child, "Here is a burrito. I already ate half of it. I'm sorry..."

He crawled over the few feet to the car and we were all silent.

My heart broke open and I felt like a mother looking at an orphan child. "You - please try to stay close to the wall when you go back to sleep." I didn't want him to get run over by passing cars. He smiled back and told me he had his special place where he slept.

We pulled away and my friend Anna prayed.

And that was it. Anna and Amy Beth didn't save the world. We both realized that for the grace of God the man sleeping in the middle of an alley could be us. But why did we get the grace and why didn't he?

And the symbolic part? Well, that's the half burrito. The world is pitching its way to disaster and all I've got to offer is a half eaten dinner. It feels so true to life. My best efforts are measly at best. I try but my heart is stifled by sin, plain old human inabilities and circumstances.

But somehow - we must believe that the God who took 5 loaves and 2 little fish, broke them and fed 5000 thousand can take take my leftovers and sustain humanity. He is God after all.

Nothing is my hands I bring...simply to Thy cross I cling.

Very Powerful

For our Wednesday summer club teaching poses some challenges. If I use pictures or the flannel board my blind boy wiggles around - bored; and if I tell a story my kids from Mexico struggle for the meaning. I carefully choose my words and try to keep things simple.

A couple weeks ago we were learning about Moses and the Burning Bush. I was somewhat flustered with how to communicate this amazing, inexplicable show of Divine power. But it was one of my young boys who named it for me as I was asking questions after the lesson. He said, "A.B...it's God-Fire. Very powerful. God spoke to Moses through God-Fire."

God-Fire. Kind of packs a punch doesn't it? What do we have to fear with God-Fire on our side?

Tradition

I'm often so overcome with wonder - I sit with the kids and just try to take in all the ways God moves in their tender hearts. It leaves me speechless. Today we talked about the final plague of Egypt and the Passover. Having a roomful of Spanish speakers and a boy who is totally blind - teaching lessons can be a challenge. So we did a simple "Seder" dinner. Hopefully the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will let it slide that I used beef jerky instead of a shank bone. Nothing like watching a group of squirmy kids who live in the good ol' US in 2006, born in Mexico and speaking Spanish all learning Jewish customs established some 4000 years ago. But it worked.

God's word is timeless. His blood still covers the price.

L.A.R.K.

Years ago we had a list of rules called "Cool things to Do at Club" - but it was so full of catchy words and creativity that it lost a bit in translation. The kid's at our Bible Clubs never really got the gist of it. So now we keep it simple with "L.A.R.K."

L- Listening
A- Attitude
R- Respect
K - Kindness

At the beginning of each club we repeat the rules out loud and when someone is acting out we often refer back to these simple four guidelines. I've said them so many times that I hardly think about what they mean. When I do think about our rules it's always in the context of the expectations we have for the kids and never my own actions.

But last week those four simple words kept tumbling through my mind and it left me to wonder about my own life. Do I really listen to people? When James begins another 10 minute description of rats and tornadoes do I stop and look into his eyes? When I'm tired does my attitude reflect the God to whom I belong - or does is just mirror back pessimism and a short fuse? Do I respect the people around me - do I treat them like they are made in God's image? And kindness - when a parent's apathy and ignorance dynamically mark the life of one of our children are my actions wrapped in truth and kindness? Do I react out of love? Does my anger motivate me towards a path of change or does it simply smolder into bitterness?

Geesh - I have a long way to go to live up to the God who made me. So my prayers have found a few new requests - God teach me to listen, mold my attitude into a reflection of your grace, teach me to love and respect all who you have created and let kindness pave my way.

The Wisdom of Inconvenience

We have a lot of older boys who want to come to club. They just don't have anything else to do. I wish we had a hoop or a bunch of male volunteers to meet their needs. But we don't. So they run around causing chaos - like boys do! To calm things down a bit I was trying to split them into groups and separate the combinations that were the most disruptive.

I had the boys all divided up and Michelle (one of our volunteers) spoke up, "I know it's hard - but they want to be in the same group. I think you should let them." I asked her why and very simply she replied, "Because it's all they have." And Michelle is right. Sure it's a little crazy for us - but a little noise and inconvenience is well worth the fact that we're keeping intact the "family" that these boys create for themselves. These "brothers of the street" watch out for each other, keep one another in line and provide a sort of love and loyalty that's often missing at home.

It's all they have.

Heritage

It seems a bit self-serving and well - human. But I want some of me to rub off on my kids - it would bring me great joy for them to step into the adult world loving big dogs, boasting a bit of a knack for singing, a taste for jambalaya and smoked sausage, and insisting that life be more of a comedy/adventure than a drama.

Of course hopes for a true heritage run much deeper - I pray that my kids will build their hearts on truth that has the power to transform brokenness, faith the size of a mustard seed that can explode into a mountain of dauntless belief, love that in its human imperfection gives a glimpse into God's perfect love.

Wanting a kid to love Batman because you do is certainly more common and mundane - but it's how we leave a legacy. Whether though the lessons we, by the grace of God, try to instill in young hearts or in the simple fact that I make sure my kids have the chance to play with a bucket of legos. It's what we leave behind.

Fried Rice

Jesus fed the masses. I imagine is was a pretty clean cut deal. The blessing was raised, bread broke and the miracle of multiplication ensued. But around here it's kind of messy.

But I suppose our common ground with the Miracle Man is the hunger that surrounds us. Spiritual, emotional and if you've around our church basement on Wednesday evenings you'll see a serving of physical hunger - the kids eat and eat and eat.

And as we're throwing stir fry on paper plates and sloshing water into plastic cups I hope that the Miracle Man sees that we're trying our hardest to be like Him.

Eyeliner

We were working our way around the neighborhood - checking in with families. The hope is to build relationships and trust. As the sun began to shift lower into the sky we stopped to visit a family that we've been in contact with for nearly 15 years. Several families live in this small brick home (although they are all related some way or another). Those old walls have witnessed death, sexual assault, violence and extreme poverty. We sat on the porch and I began to talk to Jazmin - who is 16. Not too long ago Jazmin used to come to Bible club. She was a good kid - pretty solid head on her shoulders. I carried most of the conversation because Jazmin was bound and determined to get her eye makeup perfect. She replied to my questions with short, but sincere answer as she painstakingly applied thick black lines around her eyes. She was being the epitome of a teenage girl. And it would have made me smile...

But it didn't. Because Jazmin is a mom. Her young daughter was running around barefoot among the broken glass and other trash - but Jazmin didn't even notice. All she wanted was makeup that didn't smudge. She had just moved back home with her mom and her sister's family (her sister is 31 and has four kids - the oldest is turning 15 this summer). Jazmin came home because her boyfriend wouldn't quit hitting her. All while her young daughter watched.

I know Jazmin with go back to him and I know that the odds of her little girl doing the same thing in a decade and a half are fairly solid.

I just wish all she had to worry about was eyeliner.

End of School Year Pics

Here are our some group pics of our two Street Churches - it's only been a few weeks since we ended and I miss having coffee with my crew on Thursday nights! We're starting summer club (better known as Star Camp) on Wednesday! Can't wait...