After over 37 years in ministry, I never cease to be affected by the gratitude of the people we serve when we give them the simplest of things.  When was the last time you were really grateful for a clean pair of underwear, dry socks, a warm coat, shoes with no holes in them, a book bag or a blanket?

I have probably seen this tremendous gratitude for such small things over 1,000 times, but it still makes me think about the material things I really NEED in this life; clothes on my back, food on my table, a roof over my head, and the tools I need to help support my family.  Everything else is a WANT.

Our youth and adult volunteers learn this lesson as well.  One of the things teens take away from their involvement with TOP is an appreciation of their material blessings.  For some, the experience of dealing with people who have so little is life-changing.  They develop a thankful heart.  And a thankful heart often becomes a generous heart.
  

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We served Bethany (name changed) almost every time we had done ministry. She was a young, single mother who came out of an abusive relationship. Child Protective Services took her three children and placed them in foster care. She had a number of issues to deal with but was working to meet the requirements get her children out of foster care. 

My heart broke as she shared her heartache over not having her kids. But her biggest concern was for her kids. They were separated and frequently moved to new homes. Her oldest son had to move five times in less than a year. 

I asked her if we could pray for her. She eagerly accepted. The church’s youth pastor and three of their youth joined me. We stood in a circle, held hands and began to pray. Often youth aren’t comfortable praying with people, but one of them, Caitlyn, said “Hey, God, it’s me” and lifted up Bethany in a heart-felt prayer that moved us all. 

By the time Caitlyn finished, Bethany was sobbing. Caitlyn hugged her and began to comfort her as the tears continued to flow for several minutes afterward. The whole time, Caitlyn held her and softly spoke comfort to her. After a while, smiles and a joyful conversation replaced the tears. 

The two of them sat together for over a half hour, building a bond of friendship and touching each other’s lives in a very special way. Bethany later told me how much Caitlyn’s comfort helped her. Sometimes she despaired of ever getting her children back, but her time with Caitlyn refreshed her. 

This sort of connection doesn’t happen on every trip, but it happens enough that I get to see how we can make a difference. I think more than anything else that I do with TOP, being able to see these wonderful connections is what makes me eager to get to work each day. 

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