I thought I had seen just about everything at the mission, but this morning I witnessed a situation that really tugged at my heart. I happened to be in the reception area when a middle-aged woman who was "dressed to the nines" came through the door with her twenty-something son. Because of his lifestyle choices, the son was no longer welcome in her home. The mom wasn't angry; quite the contrary. She displayed genuine concern for her son and wanted to make sure he would be in a clean, safe environment. I couldn't help but put myself in that woman's shoes. What would cause me to deliver my child to a rescue mission, in essence declaring him homeless? Obviously, in this case, it wasn't a matter of financial lack; it was a matter of "tough love," and I'm sure the decision wasn't an easy one. There is a danger of raising our children in affluence that can be so much more damaging than the trials of poverty. Because we can provide, we often do provide. It's when we provide excuses or easy remedies for their "messes" that we really do our children a disservice. My heart went out to that mother this morning, because I could see a faint reflection of myself standing there. All I could do was pray that God will work to accomplish his purposes in each of their lives. I'm not sure the mom realized it, but her son really is in good hands.
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