Joel's Place: Live and Unplugged: One of those weeks

Friday, May 23, 2014

One of those weeks

     Have you ever had one of those weeks? You know, the weeks when crazy things happen that just make time move slowly and painfully? Like, hypothetically, four members of your family come down with super grade A strep throat...but you have to wait for the official tests to come back to the doctors before they can get you a script for your medicine...and that takes six days? You know, hypothetically one of those weeks?

     First, allow me to apologize to anyone that I interacted with this week through the haze of pain and the fog of fever. I probably don't know what I said to you or agreed to so you probably want to remind me (counting on your integrity here) and if I was gruff or appeared to have no patience for listening to your story, I really am sorry. I'm feeling much better now if you are wanting to try again.

     Sickness has a remarkable way of reconfiguring our worldview. There are certain things that I take for granted in life, one of them is being able to swallow whenever I want to without pain ripping from my shoulders to my ears. When those certainties disappear I notice them...every time. I get creative at how to avoid the pain: cough drops, tylenol, blowing a fan into my mouth so I don't have to swallow and my day is absorbed by self-maintenance instead of being able to care for my family and fulfill the duties of my job. I worry about who I can talk to and how far away to stay from people so they don't get infected instead of freely relating. And that is just for a small thing like an infected throat.

     I am struck by the certainties of life that some of our Joel's Place Youth do not have: supportive parents, safe homes, any homes at all, food. These are things that I did not question when I was growing up, but my Center is filled with teenagers who are trying to figure out how to deal with the lack. They work hard at avoiding or minimizing their pain through a myriad of different approaches. They are absorbed in self-maintenance instead of being free to grow and serve and hope and dream. They are hungry for food and security and attention and affirmation and community. They have no idea when the drama will slow down.

     The loudness, the arrogance, the constant boundary pressing, the short tempers...all the things that make young people (and especially young men) so aggravating are not signs that they are bad kids, doomed to become part of the justice system. They are signs that some of the certainties of their lives have been taken away...and we have access to a small window of time to help them replace those lost resources so they can be successful for the long term.

     This is part of a longer conversation about why we do what we do and I know that there are probably lots of questions, comments or objections ticking through your mind. If you want to send me any of those, feel free, I am good at replying to e-mail: joelsplacealaska@gmail.com. Mostly I just wanted to share what has been bouncing through my mind as I had one of those weeks.

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Giving

If you would like to become a financial partner with us and support the work of Joel's Place, here's how:

1.) To make an online donation:

2.)Mail us a check at P.O. Box 83584, Fairbanks, AK 99708

Or

3.)Call our front desk at 452-2621 with your credit card information. Our official hours are Mon- Fri, 12pm-6pm , but there is usually someone by the phones from 8am on.

And

4.) You can link your Fred Meyer Rewards card to Joel's Place at this link. Every purchase on your card increases the Fred Meyer Foundation's annual donations to our organization.

Thank you for your encouragement and support.

From the Staff

Leah Byam, Program Assistant

On Sunday after Church a group of us went to Subway to eat lunch. When we get in line it's very busy, so we wait patiently in line. As I'm waiting in line I see CS, a young man who has been coming to Joel's Place for a very long time. He's working behind the counter. He's assertive, polite, taking peoples orders, and going on to the next costumer giving them kindness and the same professional service. As I watch him from afar my eye's tear up. I know his past. I've walked with him on so many journeys. I love this kid so much, I am so so so proud of him. As I get closer he see's me and his face lights up. We were able to talk. He tells me that he just graduated with his high school degree, that he's still saving up, he will be going to Hawaii as planned in September to work. I was able to tell him, How proud I am of Him, and I meant it in every sense of the word.