I spent some time this afternoon with a group of young people who came to the church to help pack Christmas food baskets for people who are in need. The event was organized by the group who works with teens in the foster care system. I had met several of the kids before as I volunteered to help with the events. There was also a large group of kids I had never met. The majority of them lived in group homes as there are not enough private foster homes. I could not imagine trying to grow up in that environment. Talking with the coordinator gave me a whole different perspective as she told us stories about these kids and others she had contact with. Due to the lack of housing, she once had to place and 8 year old child in a group home. She met a 14 year old boy who had escaped his violent country by hitching a ride on the top of a train. He didn’t sleep for 3 days, because if he did he would fall off the train. Some others lived in a refugee camp for 10 years before they were able to leave. Other refugees looked very much younger than they actually were due to malnutrition. Most of them didn’t know if their families were still alive or not. These were horrific situations in my opinion and my heart broke for these kids. The youth that I met were real people who have had to deal with conditions that were forced upon them by others. But, they enjoyed being helpful. They laughed and played games. They loved pizza and candy. They were grateful. It was uplifting to work with them and prompted me to pray for each of them regularly.

I Found God today in a group of uplifting teens despite their difficult circumstances.