I am proud of our church, we try to really get out to a hurting community, but sometimes it gets messy... One thing we do is provide meals every Wednesday for 140 kids from the kids from the projects of Belfast. We love to do this as the kids are impoverished. As one kid said, "Man I wish we could have this for supper at home"...we were having hot dogs. How sad, their parents would rather spent $350 on heroine then food. In any case it is not the child's fault. So we feed them, give them the gospel and play games. Last night the guy in charge yelled that he needed someone to take a boy home as he was acting out...an understatement. Never going alone I was going to ride shotgun, but then another 12 year girl acted out. Suddenly she blew up, screaming in peoples faces, barracked herself in the nursery and started smashing the door in some elder's faces. I just happened to be there for the other kids issue, so we were ready to take her home. Then it got bad... She refused to leave, yet was assaulting people, scaring kids and refusing to do anything we asked of her. I finally corralled her into a backroom where we kept watch of her...yes several of us due to liability. One silly elder just wanted to call her dad, but I when she tried to punch me, we decided to call the police. Eventually he came and the kid tried to run off, but her Mom arrived just as she was taking off and she was trapped. The cop had the legal right to arrest her but didn't, BUT in hindsight we probably should have. yes there is mercy, but suffering goodness this child was wild. We all agreed she will inevitably be in and out o the criminal justice system all her life unless something drastic happens. It was not what she did, it was that everything was a joke. She might come around when handcuffs go on, she goes to Juvenile Detention and finds out life behind bars is not so fumy when every minute of your day is dictated by others. Maybe... Sad. I would love to blame poor parenting, but her parents are sweet and responsible people with 3 daughters, the older and younger being fine. Sad, see is just a wild child. But what does a church do? You cannot just stop reaching out because people are not ideal. You cannot expect people to act reserved who are not, yet what do you do when it gets in the way of other decent kids from enjoying their fun? There has to be some semblance of control. I asked the patrolman how many times he had been called to a church, he said he never had. In some ways it is sad we had to call the police for a 12 year old, but yet in a way not because at least we are a church willing to step out and get into messy situations. What a crazy world we live in.
Speaking from a law enforcement background, you can' save them all. You do what you can to help those that want to receive it and function as positive role models and stepping stones to living a productive life. Your group responsibility is to provide an environment conducive to nurturing the kids, and it sounds like you'e doing a great job. When you have individuals that reject a civil interaction, damage property and threaten/attempt violence on other kids/staff, the answer is to rescind their invitation. Maybe for a set period of time or permanently, but it doesn't reflect poorly on y'all if you cut bait on one or two and do a lot of good for the group. Conversely, if you allow the troublemakers to come back and they hurt someone, you'll feel nothing but regret. As always, keep up the good work! I'm grateful for people like you.
Leaving for work in a few minutes so I'll keep it short! Thanks you for your help with those in need! I used to help with a bible based addictions ministry we delt with this frequently. It's very tough to see people suffering and know you can help but they don't want help. They only come for what in it for them. Keep your head up and your eyes open! Make sure your church has a security plan in place!!!!
LodgedTree that is such a wonderful thing that you and your church do for the less fortunate in your community! You did the right thing with handling the wild child. As stihl sawing said yes the world does need more people like you! There's nothing like reaching out and touching the lives of people less fortunate and who may be going through a tough time or just plain down on there luck.
Sometimes it can be difficult keeping your attention on the ones you are doing good for. Don't let that happen! Many times you'll find more than one apple in a bushel you have to remove lest the rest spoil. Is it much different with humans?
I understand the bad apple. I try and give people the benefit of the doubt, but some are just destined for a worthless life to society. All you can do sometimes is pray for them. I say that because God is ALWAYS working in the background. Maybe they will reach rock bottom and turn to the only help that can help them...God. I was once watching a show on TV and a teacher tried to reach out to a Wild Child and it really bit her. She went to her teachers house with her dad where the teacher was raped and shot dead. The show was about how they were found guilty, but it ended by the warden saying that if people were waiting for a happy ending about this child, it would never happen. She was the worst inmate they had. I pray for her, I move on... But alternatively on that same show about another child, the daughter murdered her father and got caught and rightfully is in prison. The daughter is a model prisoner, does every worst job no one else wants to do, and when interviewed in a cold room they found the daughter shivering. They asked if she wanted a coat and she was like, "I don't deserve a coat." I pray for her too that she knows no matter what she has done, she can experience God's grace. We all can, he freely gives it.
It seems to me that parenting ain't what it used to be. Too easy to put a screen in front of a child for some peace and quiet. Spanking is a touchy subject nowdays...when I was young, the entire neighborhood had permission to discipline other people's children. I for one am grateful for the corrections I got as a youngin. Never excessive or in mean spirit. I see kids lashing out in ways that I or my siblings and friends couldn't imagine doing as a child now. I try to analyze it and ask myself what is different, what has changed? Discipline, lack thereof. Parents have been left helpless by the aversion towards physical discipline in modern society. There are of course other ways to go about it, but none more effective....at least for me during my early years. Sad story. Sorry you had to go through that.
Without a doubt that is a contributing factor, but I see the underlying cause as going beyond that. I see the problem as being more to do with the court system. This goes beyond children, it goes beyond politics, it has come to the point where no longer is our country regulated by the congressman we elect, but rather by the 7 people on the supreme court. The constitution has only one paragraph related to the Judicial System because it was meant to be a minor part, elected by the people was why my family fought in the Revolutionary War and lost their lives in that endeavor...and why paragraphs on both the legislative and Executive Branch exist instead. Life was never meant to be filtered through the opinions of 7 people. That being said, parents could parent as they should IF there was no repercussions from the court system, the same for teachers, police officers, etc. Sad...
We elect those who choose said justices. So if what you said is true, the fault is all ours. We can all make positive change happen, but more than half our country won't vote. Fwiw, I agree on the part of "parents" ( Used extremely loosely) being scared to discipline for fear of legal charges, or social media scrutiny if the people post what happens. I think many of them use it as an excuse.
Regardless what people say, you do still have the right to discipline your children and even the Bible tells you to do that. As for easy to put a screen in front of kids, again, people still have choices even though some think they don't.
