Over our many years in ministry, I have had a front row seat to observe just how hard life can be for our families—many struggle with generational and systemic wounds that they are born into and contend with in big and small ways throughout their lives. That is why we are so very delighted to celebrate with them every joy and achievement…moving to a better home, graduations, new jobs, babies…each situation is a cause for celebration and recognizing God’s faithfulness.
This spring we were able to celebrate high school graduation with a young man whose family spent much of the winter in fear because of the Operation Metro Surge occupation. In spite of the fears and burdens this caused, our young senior kept up with his high school studies, his internship, working with Chris on many college applications and his PSEO classes. We celebrate all his hard work and careful decision making and his plans to enroll at the University of Minnesota in the fall.
We celebrated the graduation in four years of our young man at the University of St. Thomas. He managed to hold down both part time work and school and complete his studies. When it came time for the grad ceremony, Chris was the honored person who received the extra ticket to the graduation outside his nuclear family. Over the years, we have loved and served lots of young people, lots of families and we never take for granted when our love is appreciated and recognized. What a joy it was to join with this family and their celebration of this young man’s achievement. We celebrate this young man, his steady and faithful attitude, and the way he has made thoughtful choices and shown a maturity beyond his years…something I noticed about him the very first time he sat with a group of boys eating breakfast at my kitchen table so many years ago.
A request came in for me to make cookies to celebrate an eighth grade completion as well. So one hot night, in our house that does not have central air, I broke my “no baking in hot weather” rule and knocked out dozens of cookies—half for the honoree and half for all her family so she got some without having to share. I celebrate that I am the extra grandma, the auntie, the shoulder to cry on in the lives of lots of younger people.
Underneath all these things, runs the current of God’s love, the bonds of love and community that have been planted, watered and tended as Jesus has been lifted up here in the city of Minneapolis. God has been faithful to us. God has been faithful to help us carry out the call placed upon our lives. We continue to walk among our people—reminding them that they are God’s children and that, in a world that is so often cruel to the least of these, that, to Jesus they are priceless and loved. We remind them that though this world may not be FOR them, Jesus is always FOR THEM and WITH them in all things. We celebrate the faithfulness of God and pray that God would continue to make a way forward for our people giving them lives of hope and purpose, joy and goodness.
Christ's Children Ministries 