Higher Ground in Western Heights
Imagine your neighborhood. Now take away the fancy cars, the driveways, and the pools. Take away all houses, leaving only a small garage. Turn that garage into a house and put a concrete porch on the front. Put hundreds of kids running around outside in hand-me-down clothing three sizes too small. Now add gangs, drugs, and abuse. Place your new creating 3 minutes outside of downtown Knoxville, TN and you have Western Heights.
Western Heights is the project area that our youth group just went to minister to. Because of sickness I was only able to spend 2 hours with these kids, but it was 2 hours that changed my life. Never have I seen children who want nothing more than the love and attention I get everyday. These are kids who are absolutely delighted by every touch, even every look that is sent their way. And they have the biggest hearts.
I watched one 6 year old little boy named Alex take care of his 5 year old twin sisters. He's 6 years old and yet he brings them water, walks them around, and looks after their own needs before his own. What kid at 6 is thinking more of his siblings than his own needs. It's the most beautiful relationship, and yet it brought tears to my eyes as I thought about everything these kids are missing out on. When I was 6 I played t-ball, I went swimming, I had piles of toys I never glanced at, and I took it very badly when I was told "no." 2 little girls in Western Heights were overjoyed when their neighbors cleaned out and they found stuffed bears in their TRASH PILE. The little girl Jamie gave her bear to her friend Chance because she "didn't want him to think she got all the good stuff." I am so spoiled.
I am in love with those kids, but even more I know that GOD was so in love with each and every one of those children that he died for them. It's an amazing love that I'm not sure we can ever truly grasp. I'm not sure, but I think those kids did us more good last week than we did them. You can't help but leave that community a new person. I have everything compared to those kids, and yet God loves us each the same. He loves Chance, Deonte, Crista, Alex, Jamie, Julie, Ashley, and every other child there and he knows everything about them. We are all equal, and I am comforted by that fact. It tears me up that I couldn't bring them all home with me, but I also know that God has a purpose, he has a reason, and I trust that. I am comforted that HE is with each of those kids as he is with me, and I can only pray that they will feel his touch.
Western Heights may be the projects, but every person there deserves just as much attention and love as I am getting in my comfortable Suburban Home.
I will never forget the smiles.
Western Heights is the project area that our youth group just went to minister to. Because of sickness I was only able to spend 2 hours with these kids, but it was 2 hours that changed my life. Never have I seen children who want nothing more than the love and attention I get everyday. These are kids who are absolutely delighted by every touch, even every look that is sent their way. And they have the biggest hearts.
I watched one 6 year old little boy named Alex take care of his 5 year old twin sisters. He's 6 years old and yet he brings them water, walks them around, and looks after their own needs before his own. What kid at 6 is thinking more of his siblings than his own needs. It's the most beautiful relationship, and yet it brought tears to my eyes as I thought about everything these kids are missing out on. When I was 6 I played t-ball, I went swimming, I had piles of toys I never glanced at, and I took it very badly when I was told "no." 2 little girls in Western Heights were overjoyed when their neighbors cleaned out and they found stuffed bears in their TRASH PILE. The little girl Jamie gave her bear to her friend Chance because she "didn't want him to think she got all the good stuff." I am so spoiled.
I am in love with those kids, but even more I know that GOD was so in love with each and every one of those children that he died for them. It's an amazing love that I'm not sure we can ever truly grasp. I'm not sure, but I think those kids did us more good last week than we did them. You can't help but leave that community a new person. I have everything compared to those kids, and yet God loves us each the same. He loves Chance, Deonte, Crista, Alex, Jamie, Julie, Ashley, and every other child there and he knows everything about them. We are all equal, and I am comforted by that fact. It tears me up that I couldn't bring them all home with me, but I also know that God has a purpose, he has a reason, and I trust that. I am comforted that HE is with each of those kids as he is with me, and I can only pray that they will feel his touch.
Western Heights may be the projects, but every person there deserves just as much attention and love as I am getting in my comfortable Suburban Home.
I will never forget the smiles.