Loving to the End

"Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love." (John 13:1)

We only have three days left at our sites. Four in our neighborhood.

Today at site, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of sadness at just how little time we have left with the kids. As I watch them throughout the day, I began to feel overwhelmed thinking about all of the brokenness and the pain that I continue to see here at BYA. There were quite a few fights that broke out today, and a few boys even had to be sent home. Towards the end of the day, there were some girl fights that also broke out, and it made me really sad to see just how much pain and abuse some of the girls have to face. Some of the words that they used made me want to cry for the lack of respect they have for themselves and for each other.

In the midst of thrown punches, angry words, name-calling, cussing, shouting, pushing, and threats, I was reminded today of how Jesus loved his disciples to the very end, even washing the feet of Judas (his betrayer!) just days before he was going to be crucified. With his time on earth almost up, Jesus wasn't busy going around trying to work 24/7 or fix every problem he solved, but He loved. Jesus continued to love even when He knew his time left one earth was short. Jesus continued to love even when He knew his disciples would betray, deny, and leave him. Jesus continued to love by serving and humbling himself

In some ways, I think that Jesus’ confidence and ability to love to the end came from doing only what the Father called him to. He was not only secure in His own identity and purpose, but also confident that the work left behind on earth would continue to be carried out to completion through the will of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. I hope and pray that this week, I would feel the freedom to trust in God’s will for us and to be faithful in loving to the end rather than trying to solve all the problems I see around me in one week.

Rather than trying to figure out how to say the right things or "teach" the kids the right lessons, I'm being reminded of the importance of just loving these kids. Perhaps love will speak more loudly than any harsh word or discipline they get.