Off the Blue Line

Every Tuesday afternoon I have the opportunity to take the train into an area of the city known as Irving Park. It is a very diverse and cultured section of town. There I tutor the young girls, (ages 8-15) and assist them with any homework that they may have. If I had to choose a few words to describe my experiences there, humbling and reqarding would definitely make the top of the list. These girls live at the home where I tutor them, along with 42+ other children. They reside there due to past abuse or neglect from their parents. They know that they are different, they know that their family life is not quite ideal, and they would do anything to be in a "normal" family with a mother and father who actually told them they are loved. Since this isn't the case, many of these children struggle with anxiety and bitterness. They have been told lies their whole lives that some of them have begun to believe. But now in this home, they have the chance to "start new" in a sense. The home is a Christian organization that cares for the children 24/7 and provides activities and various services for them.

On one occasion I was working with a girl who has only been living there for about 5 months. She is 13 years old, and has been placed in more homes than she even wishes to recount. Little does she know, she taught me much more that day than I could have taught her about Algebra in 100 sessions. A quote on her wall read:

I can
I will
I have a plan
to grow
for the better me.

She has these little inspirational sayings in her room as somewhat of a reminder and comfort during the times that she begins to believe the lies that have been told to her. She is loved, her life does matter, and she can take steps to succeed. As I saw these words on her wall, I teared up a bit. Oh how blessed I am given my family circumstances! Not only that, but the Lord has given me a taste of consistency within community that I cherish even more so now. Being a transfer student in back to back semesters doesn't even compare..

I have two main hopes as I move forward with this ministry. The first is that the Lord will enable me to share his love with the girls there, even if it is only through my actions. It is sometimes difficult due to time contraints to speak about Jesus instead of Algebra, but I know that my presence in itself can be a testimony to them.  May the Lord instruct my heart concerning this! Secondly, I hope to visit the girls more often..so as to interact with them in more casual settings. They have ambitions, dreams, and a lot of potential to do some big things. Partnered with the knowledge of the Lord and his Gospel, their attitudes could produce passionate followers and disciples of Jesus Christ! Through him they can accomplish more than that little girl even had in mind when she wrote those words on her wall.
 They have been told lies that they can learn to forget. They have been wronged in ways that they can learn to forgive.

There is a Redeemer.