It's just what you are expected to be. Because of your environment. The circumstances you were raised in. The examples that you see all around you. What people and teachers have told you about who you are.
And so, it's true of one of our students. At such a young age he has become what people and his environment has dictated. In one word he is what the streets call HARD. Maybe the fact that family is in an out of prison. Maybe because he has no father figure. Maybe because that is what he is constantly told at his school. But the result is the same, he has become exactly what has been predicted.
Until HOPE EXTREME.
When he walks through the doors the chatter is forced to stop by the teachers and volunteers. What has happened at school and told to him at home no longer exist. For two hours every day he can become the person God has created and designed him to be. A person that believes the truth in God's unfailing love for Him and the fact that God knows him inside and out.
One of the things that we love to do here in our elective classes is have the kids say two nice things about each other because God says such nice things about us. If the child is particularly hard, we have them start with themselves. And for this student that is where we started.
Putting him on a chair, we asked him to start by just saying two nice things about himself. He couldn't. He had believed such lies about himself that he couldn't even muster that. So, I started. I told him he was smart, because he is. I told him he had good hair, because he does. And slowly one by one each student in that elective class began to tell him two nice things. As the words began to be spoken he gently raised his face toward the ceiling to hide the fact that a couple of tears were streaming down his cheek.
And there my friends is the breakthrough. Change is coming.
Just this past week he said he actually cares about his grades. Change is coming.
And that is change you can believe in. Thank you for helping this to happen every single day.