Changes

     I have had a number of self-reflection moments over the past couple of weeks.  I have arrived at a few conclusions that will shock none of you that know me:

1. I like to fix things.  I like taking problems and making them better, solving the puzzles and helping structures work the best that they can.
2. I am driven.  I am eager to work hard, see results and move on to the next step of the project.  I don't like sitting back and celebrating what we have accomplished or writing thank-you notes or filling out final reports.  I am eager to move on to the next challenge.
3. I am strategic.  I am fascinated by how to get the most result out of whatever resources we have available.

There are other points, but I don't want to stray too far from the point of the post (see, strategic).  These times of reflection have come during hikes in the White Mountains, classes in NonProfit Management and doing the dishes.  (Side note: I would highly recommend The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence as he describes his best times of prayer and reflection as occurring during the most mundane of chores.)

     Joel's Place has gone through a lot of changes in the past year.  We are open every day with more staff and a better cash flow than we have ever had.  We received our first positive audit this fall.  The parking lot is fenced and paved; the building is insulated and newly sided.  Our membership is growing.  The building is being used by the community more than ever.  We have a terrific opportunity to pay off our building this year.  The staff are happy, paid, focused and skilled.  We are knocking out our debt piece by piece.  There is a lot going right within these walls.

     My natural inclination is to be dismissive and move forward, to say what we have done in the past year is unimportant because it is not the challenge right in front of us.  Or to shake my head at what came before and say it all needs to be changed.  However I am being invited into change, just like Joel's Place.  This past week I learned that the values that are instilled into an organization by its founders are not just good ideas to post on the letterhead; they are the very lifeblood of that institution.  It does not matter if the group was founded in the past 100 years or 100 days, the intention and direction of the founders will either be embraced by successive generations while the organization thrives or will be discarded as the group struggles and dies.  This is why Mission Drift is such a dirty phrase among non-profits...it signifies that you are moving away from your DNA and becoming something else.  Something not entirely you.  Something that will eventually crumble because its foundation is decayed.

     When I talk with youth about their future, we inevitably end up talking about what kind of career they will pursue.  I always give them the best advice I received: discover what you are passionate about, what brings you joy, and find a way to make a living from that.  Do not pursue money or acclaim with the intent of having joy-filled hobbies.  That only leads to frustration and contempt.  Organizations, especially non-profits, must hold to the same principles.  Discover what we are passionate about and creatively figure out how to make enough money around that.

     I count myself blessed that the organization that I joined has such solid and worthwhile core values and passions.  Mike and Linda Setterberg wanted to create a space where youth who were marginalized could be safe from the pressures of the world; a space where they could laugh and sing and play and be loud and break stuff...where they could be teenagers without criticism and disapproval being poured upon them.  Mike and Linda, beginning with only open minds and adventurous hearts, created a refuge for youth based on compassion and hope.  Compassion for every child who was cold or hungry or scared.  Compassion for those who were reeling from loss and pain and were lashing out while looking for love.  They had hope that even those from the most broken of upbringings could have the direction of their lives changed through the loving involvement of faithful people.

     Compassion.  Hope.  Youth.  Fun.  Safety.  For as long as Joel's Place exists, these must be at the core of who we are and what we do.  They will not change.  They will only change us.

Thanks Mike, Linda and everyone who has come before.  This community owes you a tremendous debt.