This has to be the coldest week of the winter season. Nighttime lows
are nearly in the single digits causing several schools to operate on delayed
schedules. There’s even snow along the
coast of Charleston S.C. ---- that never
happens! Friends, it’s freezing! In the midst of the freeze, there’s a story on my heart. I hesitate to share because I don’t serve others so that everyone knows. The story is a reminder of how we care.
Right before Christmas break I had the opportunity to join a group of
students at a local soup kitchen. This
was significant for two reasons. First,
I had never been to a soup kitchen.
Second, I had never been asked to lead a fieldtrip. Nonetheless, I
jumped at the chance. After all, this
was an opportunity that combined my love for teaching and service. I was all in! It was an unforgettable experience.
As I cleaned tables with students the coordinator of our service told
a student, “You should clean like that
lady over there…. Use some elbow grease”.
Truthfully, I don’t think she realized that I was a teacher but, I
smiled and the students seemed to work just the slightest bit harder. The soup kitchen was almost closed. As I
glanced over I noticed two young boys with an adult in line. Then as I moved to clean my last table, a
little girl sat in her coat finishing the last of her meal. The teacher in me was perplexed. Why weren’t these
children in a classroom at this time of day? I wondered if I should say hello to the young
girl. I decided against it thinking: she might be afraid of an unfamiliar lady
not to mention; I was unsure how the woman who had brought her might react to
my greeting. So, I finished my work and gathered my
students.
As a perspective teacher, I have researched the startling statistic a
dozen times; there are 5,000 homeless students in our school system---- that
number is still accurate. Moreover, I have volunteered at schools where food
goes home with students each Friday. School staff does everything they can to make
sure students eat while not at school. Sometimes, as I tutored students I wondered if
they’d eat again before returning to school the next morning. It’s a sad reality for students in our
city. It’s fair to say, I know kids are
hungry, but it felt strikingly different to see that hunger in a soup
kitchen. School is a safe space, a
heated space where students eat together. Children should be surrounded by
adults who should make every effort to T.E. L.L (Teach, Encourage, Listen,
& Love) them they matter. The T.E.L.L message has impacted my life
significantly as a teacher and a student.
I wondered why those students weren’t in the school building but, that is
less because they might be missing a reading or writing lesson and more because
there are few moments --- if any in a soup kitchen to be encouraged, loved,
listened to, and taught that you matter.
Let’s be honest, I just said, I was nervous
about saying hello. So, if I was afraid surely,
all the emotional comfort of who these children long to be is lost as each of
them faces the need to survive ---- to be physically nourished. It leaves me more grateful for those who remind me that I'm valuable!
There are days on this journey when my luck seems low and I’m
discouraged. Then there’s an unexpected opportunity to fulfill a hunger to make
the world a better place. A time and space for me to understand the true meaning of being full. It was extraordinary! At the soup kitchen my
weakness don’t seem to matter too much. I clean tables just as well as anyone
else. At the end of the day, we all have
the ability to care for one other! An
opportunity to be a difference maker is never wasted. Serving one another is a reflection of the
heart that keeps us emotionally nourished.
In the bitter cold, I’m thinking about nourishment in new light. I’m
nourished physically so, it’s my responsibility to give away emotional nourishment
whenever I can. Life should be less about what we have and more about what can
give--- even if the only thing we can offer is a heart full of care and kindness!
This weekend challenge yourself to “freeze” with someone. Share a cup of coffee or a meal. Ask them how
they are and be intentional about listening. Try not to be afraid of a less than
happy response. Remind them
specifically how they impact your life!
Conversation, community, and care are some of the best way to warm our
hearts!
Stay Warm!
Julie
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