Feeling safe

Things have changed as you might have heard. We opened our home to boys and we've changed our rotation. And we wouldn't change that decision! Not at all! The boys have let us into their lives, even if it's for a moment. One thing we've understood has been that the children in our care need to feel safe. Safety isn't something everyone thinks about when it comes to growing up. I grew up in a two-parent household, I attended church, I was in a youth group, I was in marching band, and I lived in a suburban home outside the city of Austin. I was safe. Did I ever think about that? No. Why? You've just read why. I lived with my family in a great neighborhood. 

Earlier this evening, a child decided he felt safe enough that he could tell us a few things about himself. I felt elated and confident that he can come to us with information that no one should have to experience! We had a small conversation about what he'd down over the weekend while he had a visit with a friend. This led to a further conversation of how he felt while around other people and what has been going on in his life. I wanted to scream and cry. My husband is a great comforter to me and he can read my body language pretty well. He touched my shoulder and I didn't flinch. That told me he was also happy that this child had trusted us enough to tell us what was going on. His decision to speak openly to us has given a new perspective. He's more than a child in our care. He's got a lot to process before having to go out into the world and be a productive member of society. He is a very smart kid and he loves basketball! I opened the door for him to come to my husband and me at any time he needs us! 

After he knew the offer, he hasn't been afraid to tell us how he feels and if we've upset him or not. We've given him no reason to mistrust us.  There's so much at stake for a lot of children who have experienced trauma. There's also a lot to teaching them how to heal from that trauma and learning how to heal from my own trauma if I've experienced trauma. There's a test to see if you've experienced it and I scored a 1! That's a story for another time though. Of course, this whole ministry is just the best thing I've ever done!