The frame and a snapshot

When I haven’t written for a long time, it’s difficult to know where to start. Do I start in theory land, in what God is teaching me, rolling out, revealing about his world and himself? Or do I start in practical land and tell you stories? Even now as I write, I haven’t decided.

I’ll start with the frame, and then paint the picture. I came back from Ethiopia and ran, into a new apartment, a new job, a bit of a new life. I have eleven hours left in my degree, and am taking six right now. Lord willing, I’ll take five in the spring, and then graduate in May. I work as a receptionist at West Dallas Community School, a private Christian school in a historically underprivileged area of Dallas. The mission of the School is:

“to provide students with a challenging educational experience designed to help them know, love, and practice that which is true, good, and excellent and to prepare them to live purposefully and intelligently in the service of God and man.”

The school is a calm and peaceful place in the midst of a dangerous neighborhood. It is part of a West Dallas Initiative to bring redemption and hope to families in the area. Less than two percent of adults in this zip code have gone to college, and for many of the children, college seems like an impossible goal. The school is funded by generous donors who are committed to giving their money to eternal things.

Within the year, they want to hire someone from the community to serve as a receptionist, but haven’t found the right person yet. I needed a job like this for a year to help me pay for school and life until I graduate, so on both ends it works very well. I love the mission of the school and the people I get to be around. On very hard days at my job (and there have already been plenty) I am reminded of how God blazed a path ahead of me to put me here, and how He will sustain me to do what He’s asked me to do.

I take classes at DTS at night. Not shockingly, I love them, and find myself energized by being able to learn about the reality of God and the way the world works. But I also can barely keep my eyes open once I get home at night.

This is the frame of my life, if you will. But the picture changes every day as I walk around within the borders God seems to have set for me. Today, into my frame, walked a woman whose nieces go to West Dallas School. They live with her because their mother does not want them. After a year and a half in foster care, this woman took them in even though she can barely afford to take care of her own children. She sat at the front desk and told me their story. Her niece is in Pre-K and has been sent home most days because of acting up, but this little girl has had more trauma in her life than most of us will ever experience. She is handicapped due to her mother allowing a fever to persist for two weeks before going to the doctor, and doesn’t trust a single adult in her young life. My keyboard was soon wet with tears, and I promised to pray for her.

I hate some of the things I saw in Ethiopia and some of the things I see here. But that makes sense, according to the Bible, doesn't it? This world is broken, and we who wish to give our lives away as He gave His know that there is nothing better than to Love Him and to Love others. To give ourselves away, and to be a part of making things right. More thoughts to come. Be blessed.