As a youngster in California I lived near several beaches. I found the "board-walk" an interesting place. The board-walk at the beaches I lived near was a walkway of wooden boards above the sand. Each board laying side by side was about a half-inch from the next one.
Crawling under the board-walk wasn't hard and afforded a nice shady spot where a variety of small stuff would fall. There was always an interesting scattering of trash and on occasion, treasure. Under the board-walk were gum wrappers and chewed gum, candy, cigarette butts; anything less than a half an inch, gravity would claim and it would fall to the lowest level.
With the trash there would be the occasional penny, nickel or dime ... if it was a very lucky day.
The world in which I minister is indeed below the social board-walk. Yesterday was a day interacting with the lowest and most hurting social level. A day in which the only hope was the sunshine that came from far above the board walk.
The call was "von, can you get my son into an orphanage?"
I entered the small room and met the "family" of three. Mom, her boyfriend and tall slender Alex, her twelve year old son. Alex is quite honest about his past and that he's homosexual and a thief ... and has run away from two other orphanages. Abused since age eight there isn't much left for this twelve year old. The two want him out ... not only out of the bed all three sleep in, but out of the house (room.)
I watched the boy as they listed his failures. He sat quiet, and motionless, accepting the truthful abuse. Alex is on his way to becoming worthless trash working the lowest level of society.
As happy and carefree as the traffic above, is the lonely pain below. Alex has fallen through.
God sees Alex as treasure, society sees him as trash!
Orphanage? No orphanage will take a chance with a kid like Alex.
Please pray for us as we work this seemingly hopeless strata.
We care because He cares.
