A couple of weeks ago, we had the unique opportunity at Room in the Inn to do a special Song Writing Session. Someone donated money to allow us to participate in an event where 3 famous singer/songwriters worked with the staff, volunteers, and some participants, to create a song together about what Room in the Inn represents. The finished project was a very catchy song called "A Chance to Dream Again."
This event just intensified my love for my job this year. One line in the song that my group contributed was "Give me one more second chance again." This lyric epitomizes so many of the core values at RITI: Forgiveness, grace, non-judgment, and unconditional love for the people around us everyday.
I'm learning what it looks like to love someone even when they make the same mistakes over and over again. I see the looks of gratefulness and trust in the faces of our participants when we choose to see them as real people, and not as their problems. It's not always easy, but the most rewarding things in life usually aren't.
It gives new meaning to Jesus telling his disciples to forgive 70 times 7. It also reminds me of how much we all screw up and fall short of the mark Jesus set for us. Yet God looks at us with love, and gives us one more second chance again...and again...and again. We really are no different.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Expect the Unexpected
I was considering writing down some more of my "profound insights" about my time at Room in the Inn so far, but instead, I thought I would share just a few incidents that paint a little better picture of how unique my job really is...
*Last week, three participants were suspended because of a fight that broke out in the alley outside. The cause? Participant T grabbed Particpant A's butt. In response, she turned around and punched him the face. From there, it continued to escalate. Most of the staff believed that T kind of deserved what he got.
*Wednesday morning, Participant C came up to the support desk and asked me to write down the address for the Campus and to call him an ambulance. When I asked him why, he said that it was because he "wasn't feeling well." I explained that I couldn't call him an ambulance for that, but he could go next door to the clinic. He left in a huff, but 10 minutes later, we hear sounds of sirens outside. Participant C had convinced someone to let him borrow a cell phone and had proceeded to call himself an ambulance. The police were not so thrilled.
*Thursday, Participant X (I don't remember his name) wandered into the day room and started to put on an impressive performance of karate chops and combat moves while everyone else was watching and laughing. When we tried to pull him aside, he would just freeze into position like a robot until he started doing karate moves again. Eventually, some staff got him out of the day room and got him some help.
*Last week, Lucia (a JVC volunteer I work with), was leaving work when Participant G came up to her and said: "Oh, Lucia, you're so pretty", followed by "I hate pretty people!" and then walked off.
*Last Wednesday someone claiming to be Hank William's daughter gave us a packet about 10 pages long of song lyrics she wanted us to pass along to the song-writing class leaders, since she was going to be in Beverly Hills for the next 7-10 days. Then later that afternoon, a different woman also claimed to be Hank William's daughter. Isn't he the popular one...
Everyday is different...and inevitably, I can never fully prepare for what is going to come next...I kind of love it.
*Last week, three participants were suspended because of a fight that broke out in the alley outside. The cause? Participant T grabbed Particpant A's butt. In response, she turned around and punched him the face. From there, it continued to escalate. Most of the staff believed that T kind of deserved what he got.
*Wednesday morning, Participant C came up to the support desk and asked me to write down the address for the Campus and to call him an ambulance. When I asked him why, he said that it was because he "wasn't feeling well." I explained that I couldn't call him an ambulance for that, but he could go next door to the clinic. He left in a huff, but 10 minutes later, we hear sounds of sirens outside. Participant C had convinced someone to let him borrow a cell phone and had proceeded to call himself an ambulance. The police were not so thrilled.
*Thursday, Participant X (I don't remember his name) wandered into the day room and started to put on an impressive performance of karate chops and combat moves while everyone else was watching and laughing. When we tried to pull him aside, he would just freeze into position like a robot until he started doing karate moves again. Eventually, some staff got him out of the day room and got him some help.
*Last week, Lucia (a JVC volunteer I work with), was leaving work when Participant G came up to her and said: "Oh, Lucia, you're so pretty", followed by "I hate pretty people!" and then walked off.
*Last Wednesday someone claiming to be Hank William's daughter gave us a packet about 10 pages long of song lyrics she wanted us to pass along to the song-writing class leaders, since she was going to be in Beverly Hills for the next 7-10 days. Then later that afternoon, a different woman also claimed to be Hank William's daughter. Isn't he the popular one...
Everyday is different...and inevitably, I can never fully prepare for what is going to come next...I kind of love it.
Friday, October 2, 2009
"Let me be a joy to you always"
This week has been a really good one overall. Nashville has had the most amazing fall weather all week long...sunny, cool autumn breeze, low humidity...it's just put me in a good mood. As I was driving across town to church last Sunday morning, rocking out to David Crowder with the windows down, I was so full of joy that I couldn't stop smiling. It's in moments like these that I remember something very important to my faith: God wants us to be happy. He wants us to find joy in this life that he has given us and everything in it. If we worship a God who experiences our sadness and pain right along with us, then shouldn't we also worship a God who experiences our joy and laughter? With that mind set, I can be happy that I feel happy, not only for myself, but for God as well.
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