“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” — Colossians 3:17
For those who don’t know, I’m a Case Manager for children with SED [severe emotional disturbances] and mental illnesses. Lately, work has been, to be honest, burning me out. I read case notes about their horrible, sometimes unimaginable pasts, see their home lives, and work with them to manage their behaviors, for the hope that one day, they won’t need me anymore.
But how can I bring about change in them, without sharing Christ with them? How can I show mercy and compassion without being able to explain where I can get that from? How do I interact with these kids, when many of them have no father figures, and I can’t tell them about the greatest love from a Father they could ever imagine?
Sure I can encourage them to change their behaviors, or teach them how to control their actions. But all I’m doing is modifying their behavior. What about deep rooted change from the heart?
The hard part, I’m realizing, is that I can’t change these kids. I can’t help them change, because they have to want to change themselves. Which, as unfortunate as it is, most of them don’t care. And worse, I can’t help them change because I can’t tell them of the only One who CAN bring about a change in them.
Sure, I can read Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and find ways to spit these verses out in my own words. Treating others fairly, using kind words…it’s all there in Proverbs. Ecclesiastes is filled with verses on how to live a prosperous life. And yes, I find some comfort in that. I constantly hear my sister-in-law and brother-in-law parenting their 4 kids, and they’ll teach their kids self control, choosing joy, being the boss of your own heart, etc. Again, I tweak the Biblical approach, and tell my kids that they can choose to be happy or choose to be sad. I encourage them to exercise self control by using different coping skills. I tell them that nobody can make them happy or sad or mad, except for themselves. That they control their emotions, therefore being the boss of their own hearts. By the way, I totally think you should patent that phrase, Elizabeth. :) I am CONSTANTLY saying “worry about you”, whenever they become angry with another peer and want that peer to get in trouble. [taking the plank out of your own eye, get it??]
I can revise your life. Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you; I’m ready to tell you all I know. –Proverbs 1:23 [the Message].
So there’s my loophole I’ve found — using Scripture by rephrasing it so it doesn’t come across as Scripture…even though it’s still Truth. I can pray for my clients, that Christ will pour out His love and mercy onto them through me. I can pray for seeds to be sown through the family. But the heartbreaking part of this all, is that some of my clients will grow up, and never be able to manage themselves on their own. Some may end up in an adult rehabilitation facility, or prison, or a group home. And that is just the product of sin in our world. I can’t rid the world of sin. But thank goodness that’s not what I’m called to.
Our Woodland Life 