So the past 3 weeks have flown by, and I can't believe that we're entering our 4th week as CHAT interns. Throughout these past 3 weeks, I've grown to see CHAT as more than a non-profit organization that is focused on children; I've grown to view it as a community. But not just the empty definition of community that people think of when they hear the word. CHAT is more than a group of people living together physically. Instead, these people live together spiritually, emotionally, and most importantly...in God. Somedays, it almost shocks and amazes me how much of a blessing the people in Church Hill are. The generosity that surrounds this community is beautiful! I entered this community and moved in with strangers who opened their homes, hearts, and arms to me. They took me in knowing nothing about me, barely even my name, and have made me feel like a welcomed addition to their family and their community. And the number of meals that we as interns are offered on a regular basis is also heart-warming. When you're a college student, free meals mean a lot, but the care and love behind the offers are what warm my heart the most.
If the college interns are shown so much love and generosity, just imagine what the kids in this community are shown! The people of CHAT have dedicated so much of their time, money, and love to these kids, and rarely ask for things in return. Not many people would make such sacrifices. It's truly a blessing to see the difference that CHAT is making in Church Hill and to finally see God's definition of "community" being lived out in such a loving way. I just pray that I have what it takes to continue living out that definition for these children.
But even though I'm seeing the amazing work that this organization is providing for the kids of this community, I still can't help but feel sad at times. I've heard the stories of many of the kids in CHAT, and I've seen some of their struggles in 3 short weeks. Not to sound cliche, but it truly breaks my heart. To see how the public school system in Richmond has failed and abandoned them, and to see how they've been abandoned in other ways in heart-breaking. I know that many of these kids have been through things that I'll never understand, and it pains me to know that nothing I can do can heal their suffering. It's during those times that all I can do is depend on Jesus, for he was the one who dealt with the ultimate suffering. No amount of pain on this Earth will ever equal the amount of pain that Jesus felt as He died for us. To know that Jesus knows these children's pain, because He endured the worst of it, is comforting. God has not, and never will, forsaken this community, and He used His son to prove that very thing to us. And now He is calling to use us to prove it to this community.
As the violence and suffering continues in Church Hill, there is no doubt in my mind that God is using all of us as a blessing to this community. I know that whatever evil presents itself here, it is nothing too big that God can not handle. I believe in His love for Church Hill, and I rely on His New Covenant. As God used Jesus to take on the sins of the world, He now uses us as a blessing in Church Hill's storms.
