What is our purpose?

What is my purpose? That is a very deep question, but one that we all ask eventually. Many people say to me that 'young folks don't think about such things, ' but this has not been my experience. When I was younger....this is ALL I thought about. In fact....I remember watching Pink Floyd's "The Wall" with my friends and being in tears because I was SO touched and my friends thought I was CRAZY! They thought I was sad.....which in a way I was....but I identified with the music....I connected with it emotionally. I was a pretty depressed adolescent....but God uses that to help me connect with hurting adolescents today in my job.

I think that young people today are hurting more than ever and I am SO impressed by their level of insight. If you know Codie Cox....you know what I mean....she is in India on a mission trip and wrote the most moving description of her experience there on facebook the other day....and this is from a kid I always pictured as somewhat sheltered......nothing lacking there......and I see it everyday with young people....amazing insight....they see things....we don't give them enough credit. Some of them are throwing their future away or so it seems because or or in spite of their pain and it hurts because there is NOTHING we can do except pray for them and encourage them and let them know we will ALWAYS be there for them. It is really hard for me sometimes being the therapist as I listen to the parent who really wants to be there but then I watch the parent do the very thing that pushes the kid away from them. Sometimes.....with God's guidance....when I am willing to let HIM lead me.....I can help the parent see that they have to back off.....and I can help the kid see that the parent is coming from a place of love....and fear....parents are SOOO afraid that something bad is going to happen to their children....they want desparately to protect their kids.....no one can blame them for that....but the kids don't understand that.....they see it as control and they are determined to live their own lives....they just want to be accepted....they want their parents to affirm them.....believe in them....accept them.....tell them how great they are and how they know they can make good decisions and will have great lives and how they will always love them regardless of any mistake they make. I tell parents that their kids need to hear this and you know what they say....."They know I feel that way." How do they know? TELL THEM!! We all need to hear it.....to see it....and not just once but repeatedly.....there are so many voices out there telling our kids that they are nothing.....be sure you are louder and more frequent....and more loving than those voices.

Listen to me...."our kids." I really feel like they are my kids sometimes....I love them so much. They are impossible NOT to love. I have been going through all the "stuff" here at the house and it has become apparent that I AM like my mother in that I keep EVERYTHING! I have all the notes and cards and drawings that every child has given me. Kids from our church...I feel like they are my family......I have homemade cards from Zac, Erin, Lara, Natalie and Madeline and Aaron that are SOO precious and Christmas cards where the children signed their names as part of the family. I LOVE these kids and I always will....even when they can't remember who I am. It's just the way it is....I guess it is just one of those generational things....ha.

Here is just a few of the kids that I consider mine.....do you recognize any of them?

I believe my purpose is to LOVE them all....even the ones in my office who are mean and disrespectful to me....because they are doing it out of pain....they need to see the love of my savior through me.....to know that HE loves them and HE cares about their pain.....because I don't know their story....and why they are acting that way.....remember adults....kids are disrespectful for a reason....either someone didn't teach them any better or someone disrespected them....either way....YOU are their role model and YOU may be the ONLY JESUS they see....literally. I know....it's hard....easier for me...just one hour in my office....harder for longer periods out in the real world....but we are never doing it alone.