Day 4 - 40 Bags in 40 Days Decluttering Challenge
Philippians 4:12-13New International Version (NIV)
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Today's Ashes to Fire devotional uses Philippians 4:12-13.
School Days School Days - Golden Rule Days. In my mind's eye I can recall my first day of school in first grade at Animas Elementary School. My teacher was Mrs. McDanenhold (I'm sure I'm spelling that wrong). She was young and happy and funny. I knew right away I was going to be a teacher just like her when I grew up. I still have lifelong friends that I made in that first grade class as well as friends that I made in subsequent years. Even today, when I walk into a school the smells take me back to elementary and the memories that flowed.
I have some of my fondest memories of my school days. Likewise, some of my worst memories are from my school days. Many times I've talked about growing up poor. In early elementary I never realized that we struggled financially. It wasn't until fifth/sixth grade or so that I realized we were different. First, it was little things like not being able to go to a friend's birthday party that I had been invited to because we couldn't afford a gift; or going to the Sunday School Christmas party for the same reason.
One memory that sticks with me (probably because it happened every year from sixth grade through ninth grade) is trying out for the cheerleader and/or drill team. Every year except for my eighth grade year I missed the team. Sometimes I couldn't figure out why because I knew I had done well. My mom would tell me it was because we didn't have the right last name or connections. In my 8th and 9th grade years I even had a high school cheerleader who was my friend help me, along with her other team members, with my cheers, but I still didn't make it. They encouraged me to try out for the high school team because she knew I'd make it. They invited me to their practices, and during home football and basketball games I'd get to sit with their stuff and be their "mascot".
In the Spring of my ninth grade year I was ready to attend the cheer week tryouts at the high school. My first day there my friend's mother along with the cheerleading coach pulled me aside and told me the truth that I never knew. I had never made any of the teams because my family couldn't afford the costs associated with being on the team. She let me know that my mom or grandma would call the school every year, and let them know what the situation was. They had debated whether or not to tell me, but since some of the cheerleaders had helped me with my cheers the last few years, had encouraged me that I would be on the team my sophomore year, and I was part of the team de facto so to speak, they didn't think it would be right to let me try out and then not get the call yet again - not because of my lack of ability but because of my lack of finances.
In the 8th grade, the teacher in charge of the drill team knew that my family couldn't afford the $100 or so to buy the uniform, so she bucked tradition, and instead of using the expensive uniform company and have the girls buy the uniform, she had a few of us pick out a pattern, and the entire squad voted for our uniform. A lady at our church offered to sew my uniform, and with babysitting money I could afford the shoes and the material.
When you're perceived as "different" in those early tween years it does a lot to your self esteem. I look back at how I changed - and how it shaped me socially. I think the biggest effect was that I withdrew socially to a certain extent and became very self conscious. When you're a kid and everyone around you is getting invited places but you aren't - not because you aren't liked (or maybe I wasn't liked and I'm deluding myself today), but because you can't afford the cost to go to the skating rink, to the movies, to buy someone a present - and you don't know that's the reason you aren't getting invitations you withdraw into yourself. You begin to not like yourself.
One instance sticks with me that happened during seventh grade. I had a really good friend that I hung out with all the time. We were always spending the night at each other's house and planning for junior high. She decided to have a slumber party after one of the school dances on a Friday night shortly after we started junior high. If you don't remember junior high slumber parties back in the day - it was a time for prank calls, for talking about boys, giggling, playing truth or dare, and comparing notes. In the course of the evening I was pretty much out of my element. I certainly didn't have all the latest cassette tapes or a boombox or walkman. Even my bedroll wasn't cool. I had my grandma's afghan and my pillow - no cute pink sleeping bag and matching tote bag (I carried my stuff in a plastic Safeway sack). I just wasn't keeping up with the Joneses. The plan was for me to stay and help clean up and then she was going to spend the night at my house. After all the girls had left and we were cleaning up, my friend matter of factly told me that her goal for junior high and high school was to be popular, and that even though we were best friends, she thought it would be better if we stopped hanging out because I couldn't afford to be in the popular group, and I would end up dragging her down. (ooooh first world problems - I know)
I can honestly say that if it weren't for the people in the church that my brother and I attended down the street from our house, I would have been really lost and hopeless. I withdrew from the social confines of school for the most part. I still had a core group of school friends, but church became my social network. The pastor and youth pastor of the church took an interest in me and my brother, and the entire church encouraged us. We were made to feel valued and important, and it really was my saving grace. Because of the church I was able to develop my leadership skills, gain confidence, and find purpose.
My life verse became and still is Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." More importantly, through church I learned the importance of verse 12 in relation to verse 13. No matter what situation I find myself in, I can be at peace and be content because of Christ who is within me. My youth pastor wrote in my Bible when I was in 8th grade:
"I can = attitude & action
do all things = goals
through Christ = source of our attitude"
So no matter where I am in life - it's through Christ that I can be content, and not 1. wallow in self pity when I'm in need or 2. become prideful when I have plenty.
The other thing those tween experiences (along with the example set by my grandma and mother) taught me was a strong work ethic. Nothing was ever handed to me. I babysat from the time I was 11 years old, and bought all my own school clothes, my contacts, and eventually a walkman. I had my first "real" job before I was 16 at Arby's (Gross Beef); and my senior year I was working from 5 pm until 2 am, and getting to school by 7 am most days. I bought my own car, paid for gas and insurance, and set money aside for college.
During my first year in college I worked three (four, if you count babysitting) jobs while carrying a full load. I paid my entire way through college graduating without any student loans. It took me a while but I did it. I worked hard and have had a lot of opportunities that when I look back on, I'm flabbergasted. In my 20's I was active politically, headed up fundraisers for local politicians, US Senators, and even attended the Republican National Convention Gala, and danced with President George HW Bush. I hung out with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was given a signed practice jersey from Jerome Bettis, and had dinner with Myron Cope (he created the Terrible Towel). I wrote a Y2K manual and gave lectures on Y2K compliance. By the time I turned 30 I was at a crossroads. I was doing well in my career, and also in my church. I worked in our local church and held positions on the District level as well.
When I turned 30 I returned to my home church to be on staff. During my early 30's I began writing professionally working with Big Idea Productions (Veggie Tales), Group Publishing, and with Youth Specialties. I had a morning radio show that was fairly popular, headed up some neat outreach events at our church (one an Easter Egg Hunt that was attended by about 10,000 people in our community), and started getting some speaking engagements.
I say all of that to say that no matter what my situation in my life, I can always look back and see where God has had His hand in my life. Even in my mid 30's when I made some bonehead decisions, when I let others take advantage of me, when I walked away from everything - God was still there.
In lean times and in plentiful times - God has been there. He has given me direction and purpose. He has been the source of comfort, peace, and yes conviction in the bad times and in the good times. None of my "success" is because of me. It's because of Him and what He has done through me.
I also can look back to those school days, and see how they shaped me and how I looked at myself. As important as those days are in my memories of yesteryear, I know it's still the same today. I see how they shape my nieces and their experiences. How things can change from minute to minute. Without a doubt, I think junior high/middle school is pretty painful for most everyone. At a time in life when you just want to fit in and be accepted by your peers, it's so much worse when you aren't.
I look back with the objectivity that time and wisdom gives us and realize that I may not have had my friends had, I had all the things I needed for school. I wasn't distracted by not having school supplies or even shoes. I had all of those things. I don't want to trivialize or minimize the struggles I had because they are real and valid to a junior higher, as are the ones young people face today no matter how small or unimportant they may come to be with the passage of time. But, for many kids they can't even think about "fitting in", going to a birthday party or social event, or even attempting to try out for a team because they don't have supplies to use in school, meals to eat before and after school, or clothes to wear.
Today, in filling my bag, I had to look no further than our garage and the closet in our front room. I have school supplies everywhere. Part of them are supplies I use when I'm on staff as a children's pastor, or on the road leading VBS a KidzJamz event, or Kid's Rally. But, I had a couple of plastic totes and some baskets of school supplies that we had purchased to hand out to all the students who went to church on Back To School Sunday at the start of the school year. Too bad on me though, I didn't check with anyone before I bought them, and when I finally said I would put together a supply bag for every student, I was shot down - so into storage they've been for the last five months.
So, I spent today boxing them up to be sent to our school in Honduras. Dave & I first became acquainted with this school when we went on a cruise in 2010. One of our stops was in Isla Roatan, and we booked a private excursion to do a work day at a local school. When we arrived I thought we would be going to one of the orphanages or church sponsored private schools, but our driver, Homer, told us he was taking us to a state ran school. He told us that the private schools had more than enough supplies and help. We were fine with that. So, Dave and I arrived and climbed about 300 steps to a school on a hill. It was built of cinderblock and had no windows. One side of the building had bamboo and wood for walls, and either concrete or dirt floors. We were told that when it rained they didn't have school because the rain would get into the classrooms.
I had brought puppets and magic tricks for the occasion; however, I thought I was going to have to do some hasty rearranging since we were in a state school. I was used to the US where you couldn't talk about God/Jesus in the public school system. I asked the teachers and they assured me that we could absolutely teach the children about God. No changes needed.
As we reached the top of stairs, Dave and I noticed one little boy sitting by himself on a chair outside the classes. We immediately assumed he was in "time out". I set up my puppet stage, music, and prizes for the kids. Dave got a tour of the school from the principal. I did a few songs, puppet skits, then did a few magic tricks. The kids laughed at some of the mistakes I made in Spanish, but by the end of the class - we were all communicating well. I had wondered where Dave went. By the time the next class came in, Dave was back and we did two more "shows".
Come to find out the outhouse that they had been using was on it's last legs, and someone had donated the money for all of the plumbing for an actual toilet. But, no toilet, and nobody to tie the plumbing into the town's system or install the toilet. Off Dave and the principal went to get a toilet and my husband had it installed and ready to go within an hour or so.
As we were leaving we asked about the little boy in "time out". It turns out, he wasn't in time out, but wasn't feeling good because he hadn't had anything to eat since the day before. We had stopped at a Farmer's Market on the way to the school and bought fresh papaya and mango - so Dave gave him the bags we had bought. The teacher began crying because they had ran out of their ration of snacks to give the kids.
Froylon Turcios School became our school from that point on. We have been back there several times since then and each time bearing gifts. Our small church in Florida collected school supplies that we sent to them. We've furnished their sports jerseys, soccer balls, volleyballs, and other equipment. We won a grant to get the teachers some laptops. I could go on and on, but it's just a drop in the bucket to what the kids need. Right now they are trying to build a computer lab and raise funds so that they have enough computers for classes to use. I'm not talking about a computer per student or enough computers so that one class at a time can use them, but I think their goal is five computers.
They always need school supplies. I had been planning on sending the school supplies to them five months ago but kept delaying because postage is pretty expensive to Isla Roatan. In today's devotion, and the memories of school, my excuse has been pretty week. What's more important, kids having the supplies they need or Dave & I having the money to eat out/go to a concert/or whatever extracurricular activity?
So, if you want to get involved with Froylon Turcios School in Isla Roatan, send me an email and I'll give you the contact information for the principal at the school.
In May 2013, we took my nieces to the school where they did puppet shows and met the kids. The children at the school were mesmerized by Hannah and Michaela's blue eyes (they love my eyes and always try to touch them), and b Michaela's blond hair. One little girl latched onto Michaela and just kept rubbing her hair. Every time we go, the school has a gift for us. They've given us a napkin holder, a desk set for Dave's office, and hand carved items.
It has been one of our greatest joys to become a part of this school, and Dave and I receive the bigger blessing from these children.
One last thing - I had a friend in college who paid my lab fees for a class that I was going to have to drop because the fees weren't covered in my scholarship. I told her I didn't know when I'd be able to pay her back. She told me she didn't want to be paid back, but when I was in the position to be able to help someone to help them and remember when she helped me. She said as long as I did that and told that person to pay it forward, we would all get paid back. She was so right. It's important to remember where we've been, and to help others.
No matter how bad our situation is there is always someone who has it worse. No matter how great our situation is there is always someone who has it better. The point is nobody is better than anyone else, and in the end, it's a level playing field at the foot of the cross.
"In the end, it's not going to matter how much money you had in the bank, what kind of car you drove, or how big your house was. What's going to matter is that you made a difference in the life of a child."
