A Place Worth Staying Forever

One of our younger guests came in the other day and presented me a list.  He had a very serious look on his face, as if this list he was handing me was a life or death matter.  He gave me time to examine the list and then with a more excited tone he asked me, "Mr. Mark, do we go to any of these churches?"

As I looked over the list, I noticed that he had written down several of his classmates' names and beside them he had made notes about where each classmate went to church.  There were several churches listed, three of which serve as Family Promise Host churches.

"Yes," I said with a smile, "there are three churches on this list that host for Family Promise."

"Great!" he said jumping up and down, "which one will we go to next?  I can't wait to see my friends at church!"

On another occasion, this same young boy was sitting on the couch next to his mother and upon discussing holiday plans he said, "Mom, I hope we can stay in Family Promise forever."  Quite taken aback, his mother replied: "Forever?!  Oh, I hope not!  I want to be in our own place by Christmas!"

"But mom," the boy replied, "they are so nice here!"

It is often interesting to view life and institutions through the eyes of a child.  This particular child has had his share of life challenges, few of them his own making.  In his eyes, Family Promise and the congregations that partner with us are places where friends can be found and people can be trusted--a place worth staying forever.

I am so proud to be a part of an organization that gives children hope for the future, that teaches them there are people who care; there are people who can be trusted.  For some children, their upbringing teaches them a perception of the world that suggests no one can be trusted, and that the world is full of people who do not care about them or their future.  Once those children become adults, it is so much harder to change their perspective; but, if you can give them even a glimmer of alternatives to the circumstances in which they live, it stays with them a long time--it becomes a touchstone of sorts--something they can look back on and remember.  How different would your life be if you grew up believing safe places and trustworthy people simply didn't exist?