Sometimes it Hurts

Q: Half full or half empty?
Me: Half full

Q: Sunshine/blue sky or rainy day/clouds?
Me: Sunshine/blue sky

Q: Comedy or drama?
Me: Comedy

Q: It'll be alright or doomsday waiting to happen
Me: It'll be alright

By the answers to the questions above you can probably tell that I'm a pretty up-beat person. I like to laugh. If you're not smiling or depressed, it's my job to try to make you laugh. Most of the time I throw some sarcastic comment into the dialogue if the conversation is getting too dull just to create laughter in the room.

When someone asks me about my job, I'm the first to say how great it is. I'll give you all the positives and make you forget about the negatives. After all, the negatives just aren't worth the trouble worrying about because of all the great positives. I have discovered, however, that SN Ministry does hurt and that's ok.

When working in SN Ministry, you are going to grow attached to a lot of people...not only the special needs kids and adults you serve but also their families. I would consider many of our kids' parents as friends. I've been to many of their homes, I've spent time with them away from church and I've developed true relationships with them. By allowing myself to get so personally involved with these families, I'm opening myself up hurting right along with them. Many of them are hurting. As I mentioned in an earlier post, they hurt because of dreams that have been crushed. They hurt with each new diagnosis. They hurt with each unmet milestone. It's hard. As they share these hurts with me, I find myself aching for them. I don't have something clever to say to make them smile. I don't have a positive to throw back to defeat their negative. I've found that simply listening and praying is the best thing I can do...all the while, I'm hurting for them.

So what's the answer? There is no answer except to continue doing what I'm doing. I have to continue being that friend, prayer warrior, and sounding board. It's not enough to just open a classroom on Sunday mornings and welcome their kids. I have to be a friend and be willing to walk with them through life...sunny days or cloudy days.