[love]

[Allow my head to think quickly and my fingers to type immediately for just a moment.]
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My heart has broken.
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I had realized this before but never to this extent.... the fact that some of these youth have no one in their lives to love them.
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A client told me today that he comes in to MFP everyday and thinks, "These [staff members] have good jobs, people to love them... they are livin' the life..." He's right. I have people to love me...
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I didn't realize how much the love of friends and family during the deepest, darkest moments of my life meant to me. How much that love flowed through me and encouraged me to keep on keeping on. I have taken love, one of the most precious gifts someone can give, for granted.
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But now I do realize that love is necessary. The mandates to "love your neighbor" and "love your enemies" are crucial. How could I ever forget that now? I can't. Love overflows.
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So, my job is to make him (and the rest of the clients) feel loved without overstepping boundaries. But how? Fortunately, I realized at the end of our conversation that he believes in God (that's one approach). I feel like saying, "God loves you... and wants the best for you... " but if I had been homeless and on the streets for 10+ years, I'm not sure how I would feel about that statement... then again, it isn't about me.
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I'm reading Copenhaver and Daniel's book, "This Odd and Wonderous Calling" (which is awesome by the way) and this morning I read a chapter on prayer by Copenhaver in which he explains the only way to learn how to pray is to pray. I suppose this means for me that the only way to learn how to talk about God and ask those questions of strangers is to do it.
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All I can do is try. Maybe it will work and maybe it won't. Here's to learning by trial and error in the efforts of making all people feel loved in some way.
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