An Alarm for Christian Mentoring of At Risk Children - By: vlcarticle

Sometimes the fortuitous care of God delicately requests my awareness, and in doing so it rolls up the darkness of doubt that has a way of moving into my perspective. One such instance happened to me just recently. This past Friday afternoon, I was sitting at my desk strained over the small details of ministry when I received a call. The man on the other end of the call announced himself as Robert Stinser*, and said he had been fit together with a Long Island Youth Mentoring mentor when he was eleven years-old. He said that he was grown up now, and wanted to return in some way to this ministry. I asked Robert his age now and he said thirty-three.

Robert requested if he would be able to speak at a dinner or some other event where he could share what his mentor had meant in his life. I mentioned the upcoming auction on November 14th, and inquired what he would like to say. This is what he said:

When I was initially matched, my Dad was in jail for abusing my sisters. My Mother was struggling to figure out her own perceived needs while trying to raise three children. Drugs and men moved freely into and out of our apartment. Robert, my Youth Mentoring mentor was my only constant--the only person I could really rely on. It was Bob who taught me how to ride a bike, and later how to drive a car. When I was old enough to get out on my own, it was Bob who showed me how to plan for, and get my first place and how to take care of my finances and budget and support myself. The most significant thing, it was Bob who shared the beauty of the Gospel and who prayed a blessing over me and my beautiful Christian wife when we got married. It was Bob who gave me direction on how to be a Dad--the type of Dad God wanted me to be.

I never imagined I would own my own home, but now I own my own house and have my own business. My wife and I have two wonderful children. In the past twenty-two years there has not been a period of time longer than two weeks when I did not speak to Bob. Now my friends call me for parenting advice, and I tell them what Bob taught me."

As he paused, I reflected on the fact that this man currently has a three year old and a six year old living in a safe healthy home. Finally I said, Robert, your young ones are really what this ministry is all about. He asked me to explain. I told him that the sort of abuse that he and his sisters experienced in childhood is usually passed on from generation to generation. The fact that his children have never experienced this trauma is testimony that God has put an end to it in his generation.

I could hear the feeling in his voice as he said this. John, what you say is so true. So much negative has happened in my family and I have changed so much that I wanted to change my name. I did not want to have any part of my family name. Now I am happy I did not, but I understand what you are saying about multi-generational sin.

I asked Robert what sort of business he owns. He said, I install fire sprinkler and alarm systems. I mentioned that I had just sent out bids for such systems to be put in our new ministry facility. Would you like to give us a bid? I asked him. Robert said sure; so, I emailed the blueprints to him. He called back to say he would not be bidding on the job because he wanted to do the job--free of charge. I said, Robert, I really value your generosity, but I do not want you to get hurt by being so generous, especially at such a difficult financial time. Robert replied, I have done a couple churches in my community already for free. It never hurts me. I always end up ahead, and I would like to give to Youth Mentoring.

Gods care of us, His children, wonderful? Whenever I begin to overlook why we labor on this mission field…whenever bills, the building or broken families pierce the peace in serving Him, He sends people like Robert to my side with a wonderful, heavenly reminder of just how awesome, and loving, a God we have. It happens all the time. I pray that someday, reality will sink in and I will learn to trust God and abandon my fears instead of trusting my fears and abandoning God.

John M. Cragg
Executive Director
Long Island Youth Mentoring

About the Author

John Cragg has been Director or Long Island Youth Mentoring for 20 years. He supports over 600 Long Island at risk children with Christian mentors. You can learn more at http://ChristianMentor.com.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/vlcarticle/55473

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