sigh.

last night at youth group this small group leader looked over at me and then pointed to a boy. he said, “this guy. take him.”
I guess “that guy” was having a hard time sitting still or staying quiet in small groups.
I pulled him aside and took a walk with him through the church.
“what happened?” I said-
“I dunno.” he answered.
“well- how are you doing?”
“fine.” he answered.
we chatted a bit about school and his family for a bit.
I found out that he was adopted-
but then his adopted parents got divorced
and now he lives with an adopted-step-dad.
I was about to send him back to his small group,
but first I said, “how I can pray for you?”
he said, “you can pray for the courts.”
“???!”
“yeah- my real dad- well, not my REAL dad, he beats me when he’s mad at me, and so my mom is trying to get custody of me.”
I was a little stunned.
I asked a few more questions and then we prayed.
before he went back to his group I said,
“I think that if I was going through what you’re going through,
I think I’d have a hard time sitting still in church too.
You’re not in trouble bro.”

the more I pull students aside like that,
the more crazy stories I hear.
PARENTS:
STOP GETTING DIVORCED.
STOP BEATING YOUR CHILDREN.
STOP CHEATING ON EACH OTHER, and
STOP TAKING YOUR ANGER OUT ON YOUR KIDS.
love, rob