In John 5, Jesus has an encounter with a man who has been an
invalid for 38 years. The first words
Jesus says to this man are, “Do you want to be healed?” This story has always seemed strange to
me. Why would Jesus ask such a silly
question. OF COURSE this man wants to be
healed. Why else would he be at the Pool
of Bethesda? Who WOULDN’T want to be
healed of something that’s been holding them back for so long?
But in the past 7 months, God has taught me a lot about
healing. It takes work. It changes the rest of your life. It means you have to leave certain attitudes
and behaviors behind. It requires
courage. Some people are ready for it,
and some people aren’t.
Before Chris and I came to Abba’s Heart, I totally
simplified street kid ministry in my mind.
It seemed like a straightforward equation: There are hurting children on
the streets; Abba’s Heart wants to help. You would think we would have boys begging us
to take them off the streets and help free them from their addictions. But sadly, that’s not really the case. Right now we have about 8 boys who
consistently come to the Learning Center, our “pathway” to getting off the
streets. This is the step boys can take
to show us they are serious about wanting to change their circumstances. We normally have 35-40 boys show up on
Tuesdays for our Mayompapa program, but only 8 at the Learning Center (which
meets Wednesday, Thursday and Friday).
One reason is that most boys choose to work odd jobs during the day to
make money, rather than investing a few hours into their future. But I think the main reason goes back to that
same question Jesus asked the man by the pool.
They’re just not ready to be healed.
We currently have 9 boys in our residential program. These are boys who used to live on the
streets, but have bravely decided to work towards a new life. The day they each came off the streets, they
were asked if they even wanted the opportunity. It seems like a crazy question. I mean, who would choose to live on the
streets when someone is offering you a safe home, a warm bed and three meals a
day? But saying yes is a lot harder than
we might realize. In fact, some boys
have responded to that question with, “Can I have one more week in town before
I come?” One boy even agreed, went through
the process at social welfare to make it official and then decided on the way
to Garneton that he wasn’t ready.
I was reading through a book recently called “You Are Free,”
and the author spoke about this particular section of Scripture in a way I had
never thought of before. She wrote, “It
wasn’t a trite question. I can imagine
his tone, his meaning. I believe he was
asking, No, really, do you? Or do you want to lie there, trying to manage
your pain? Do you really want to be
well? Because if you do, it will cost
the rest of your life. You’ll no longer
be a victim. You’ll no longer be able to
agree with the lie that you are broken and crippled. Instead, you’ll say, “I once was blind, and
now I see!”
Choosing to leave town is probably terrifying for these
boys. At least on the streets they can
waste their days away with alcohol and sticka.
They have an excuse to behave any way they want; after all, it’s what
people expect from them. They can get in
fights and insult each other because that’s just the way life is. When you’re a street boy, it’s okay to act
broken because you are broken. But now, if you choose to take a step towards
healing and restoration? Suddenly you
have no more excuses. You have been
handed a new, blank slate. A future with
possibilities. And somehow, I think
that’s scarier than a future with none.
There is too much room for disappointment. Too many chances to fail. Too many expectations thrust upon you. They’ll suddenly have to deal with questions
like, “Who am I and what are my dreams?”
They’ll have to let go of their addictions and face all the demons
they’ve been trying to forget. They’ll
have to stop blaming their circumstances and take responsibility for the
decisions they make. It’s a daunting
task. A long, uphill climb. And I’m sure for most boys, it’s easier to
stay where they are. Easier to look at our
team (and Jesus) and say, “Thanks for
the offer, but I’m okay.”
Today we are asking for you to pray that more young men
would be brave enough to say yes. Young
men who decide that they are tired of being broken and ask God for His
miraculous healing power. Who actually
start taking steps towards receiving that healing. Who will take God at His word when He says He
will walk with them every step of the way.
Who are willing to face disappointment and hard battles in order to
receive the full healing they so desperately need.
I’m so grateful to say we are beginning these steps with one
boy in particular, and I just ask that you would be praying for him over these
next few weeks. Pray for our team to
have the wisdom and patience to handle his situation the way God intends. And pray that we will soon have a testimony of
God’s goodness and mercy!