employee of the month

I'll try to keep this short; I should already be in bed...

Today I received my third "Employee of the Month" award in my twenty-three months at FCC. While we are fairly diplomatic with our nominations, I admit feeling a bit of pride for this one, receiving it during the first month of my new shift. Working 12-hour days with troubled teens has made me feel incredibly inadequate, so it's nice to know that the trials are being noticed. It can be difficult for me to receive a compliment, but I've found it much easier to accept in an environment that requires the killing of my flesh to succeed.

During group tonight, my co-worker and I had to fend off some staff bashing. Let me say, I have received the blessing of being paired with one of the most selfless direct-care workers I have ever met. The girls are beginning to notice a stark contrast between our shift and others, and one girl even went so far as to state that she spends the weekend waiting for Sunday when we return. Rather than feeding their negativity or our egos, we asked them to explain the difference, so that we could work harder to equally meet their needs.

Their answer? Empathy.

I know that the love of Christ is doing transformational stuff in my life, because I cannot comprehend how five girls who have been emotionally neglected, sexually abused, and substance dependent can appreciate me for being empathetic. I had grown up believing that the difference between sympathy and empathy was experience, that we cannot empathize with a situation we have not endured. Perhaps this is true on our own. But we serve and know the perfect love of a High Priest that has walked in this flesh, and His Spirit has granted us the privilege of pouring out the overflow of His love.

The world yearns for a Body that cares enough to actively listen and empathize with its mess. Quick solutions and comforting statements are not the answer; people need to know that while their dysfunction is real, our God is bigger. If we are too focused on ourselves or our own wisdom to notice, the lost will never know His love: the life-changing truth that sets us free, turning our once painful story into a testimony of His grace.