“Every child, every person needs to know that they are a source of joy; every child, every person, needs to be celebrated.”
Today was our Recess ministry’s 1 year anniversary. Recess, our church’s respite program, exist to provide a “safe place for children with special needs”. It was such a joy to see all the kids again and to see the many volunteers from our church who have taken time on a Saturday to be with these precious children. Every person had a smile on their face, every child knew they were loved and valued. As I watched the interactions between each kid and Recess volunteer I couldn’t help but think of two persons that really impacted my own journey in celebrating all God’s children.
Jean Vanier | Founder of L'Arche
The first person I thought of was Jean Vanier, founder of L'Arche (“L’Arche enables people with and without disabilities to share their lives in communities of faith and friendship”). His is the book we first studied and his lifestyle was our example as we prepared our hearts for this ministry. And just as Jean started with only a few friends by opening his home to friends with disabilities, I saw what could happen if we imitated that kind of love and hospitality.
But who is being hospitable to who? Which way is the door swinging open? Often I've found that people with "special needs" have a greater aptitude for dispensing unconditional love. Which leads me to the second person I was reminded of today, Steven.
When I was about 19 years old I took a job as an “inclusion specialist” at a nearby elementary school. The title “specialist" was a generous way of making anyone in my role feel more professional. The inclusion program was designed to offer kids like Steven a chance at integration into "normal" classes. Anyways, I was assigned to Steven, a smart kid with down syndrome. I had never met anyone with so much life, curiosity, and love. My role was to be his personal tutor, his personal coach, and most importantly - his recess buddy. I never played so hard in my life. I chased him, pushed him on swings, climbed everything, and when he wanted to play with the other kids, I was the designated big brother who helped him win all the games. I was there to be by his side all day. My favorite part of the day was when we would sit and wait for his parents to pick him up from school. He would love to recap the day or just sit next to me quietly. He never failed to give me a big fat hug before giving me a hearty "goodbye Bryan, see you tomorrow!" Steven helped me see that everything and everyone can be seen as good, fun, and worth celebrating. In his mind and world, everything and everyone deserved a hug, especially from him. I learned the art of hugging through him. And for that I am grateful.
“All of us have a secret desire to be seen as saints, heroes, martyrs. We are afraid to be children, to be ourselves.”
And I think that was what today was all about, at least for me. When we sit next to these children, play silly games, laugh wholeheartedly, protect them from a fall, we are given a glimpse into how God sees the world. Everything and everyone is seen as good and worth loving. Perhaps they are the true “inclusion specialist”, helping us all transition and integrate into God’s beautiful creation and see the world through his eyes. And maybe God is trying to teach us how to hug... again.
Thank you Recess team and volunteers for always giving your best to God’s children. You are simply an inspiration. Bravo Recess, bravo… Happy 1 Year anniversary.
- September 19th, 2015
“We are not called by God to do extraordinary things, but to do ordinary things with extraordinary love.”