Protect Them From the Evil One!

Blogger's note: (I always wanted to say that) My next 3 or 4 posts will be a series of articles I have written about the non-profit after-school program I work for in Ft Worth. So they will all have a theme around the way I see God moving in the people of the FWISD LOVE NEVER FAILS PROGRAM. Here is the website to learn more: http://loveneverfailsinternational.org/

Anytime you work with at-risk youth from neighborhoods where the crime rate is through the roof, the dropout rate more than doubles the national average, and breaking the vicious cycles of poverty seems like towing a car with your teeth. There is a constant battle going inside of you for what is best for them. The tendency for me at least is to wish for them to move out of that place. To a place where families stick together, where it's safe to play in the front yard, and where it does not matter what color of clothes you wear. To move to a place where houses are big and nice cars are the norm. Sometimes I catch myself having a goal for them to have more things, for them to have a nice, quiet normal life or just to move far away from that neighborhood.

Then I start thinking, "What is God's will for them?" I know that if a man gains the whole world yet loses his soul, he gains nothing. (Matthew 16.26) I know that Jesus prays for his followers not to take them out of this world but protect them from the evil one. (John 15.13) There has to be a balance, right? I think I have found a good balance in some of our mentors in the FWISD centers. When we kicked off Love Never Fails International (LNFI) in the Fort Worth school system at the beginning of 2010, at first our main source of volunteers were the Poly Tech Key Club students. During the volunteer training, I was amazed at how many of these students grew up going to the schools where we were now opening a center. I was also amazed at the number of high school students living in an at-risk neighborhood that wanted to serve and give back. The Poly Tech Key Club has been great for the students in LNFI. In 4 months, the Poly Key Club has volunteered over 175 hours. The students are not only great with the kids, but the example they are setting will hopefully become contagious. The Poly students are thriving in service and in the classroom. A lot of the Poly volunteers are in the top 10% of their class. On more than one occasion when they have to miss volunteering, they will give me the typical teenage excuse like: I did not come yesterday because my teacher asked me to go feed the homeless with her, so we did! Or I got this one last week, I can’t make it tomorrow because I have to go to a banquet to receive an award.

So when I dream of how the current LNFI students are going to be, I think of a Poly Key Club student. One who is thriving in school and life. I just know our students are going to remember the example of our high school mentors and give back in their neighborhood, like someone did for them one day. I pray daily for the students at LNFI. A lot of times it goes like this, ”Lord, I pray that you do not take them out of their neighborhood, but protect them from the evil one. And Father, help them turn out like a Poly Key Club student.”

It Is a Lifetime Commitment!

I am writing this on the eve of Coach K's 11th Final Four appearance. I am a Duke lover and I am proud of it. I am proud to follow a team that does it the right way. As a small white boy growing up playing point guard, I got to watch players like Hurley, Collins, Wojo, Redick (Yes, J.J. Redick is still the wallpaper on my MySpace page), Paulus and now Scheyer. I love lines like this on the Internet, "Under Krzyzewski, 90% of Duke's scholarship basketball players have graduated, among the highest graduation rates of any NCAA Division I program." I wore the number 11 my whole life becuase of Bobby Hurley. One of my favorite books is Coach K's "Leading With The Heart."

The day I heard the story about Coach K recruiting Tommy Amaker was the day that I knew that I would be a Duke fan for the rest of my life. Duke was playing Michigan where Amaker was coaching, after being at Duke as an assistant for years. (Still today all the assistants are former players). The TV guy says, "Coach K called Coach Amaker this week just like he always does." See, when Coach K was recruiting Tommy and he sat by his mom at one of his high school games, he was selling Tommy's mom on Duke and said, "You know, your boy will look good in a blue Duke uniform. (Trust me, Coach K's recruiting skills have come a long way since that line.) Mrs. Amaker looked at Coach K and said, "I don't care about how my boy looks in a uniform. What I care about is whether you are going to take care of my boy." He looked at her and said, "It is a lifetime commitment!" I still get goosebumps when I tell that story. That's why Coach K called Tommy. Not because he was about to play him but because it's what he does all the time. Because Coach K promises more than just playing time, making kids into lottery picks, a chance at the NBA, or bending the rules to get a better team. He promises more. He promises to teach them hard work, commitment, trust. Not for one year or four years, he promises it for a lifetime! That is why, win or lose Saturday night, Coach K is my guy and I will be proud of Duke no matter what a scoreboard says. Because I know the four letters on the jersey stands for something! Something that I am proud of!