This summer I have been placed at a non-profit called The
Next Door in Nashville, TN. The Next Door provides a variety of services
designed to address the mental, physical and spiritual needs of women in substance-abuse
crisis. It provides care for women and
families impacted by addiction, mental illness, trauma, and/or incarceration.
It seeks to decrease substance use and relapse, to break the cycle of substance
abuse and dependency within families, and to facilitate successful family
reunification of single mothers and their children.
I spend most of my time at one particular location, the
Freedom Recovery Center, which is a more permanent transitional housing for
women and their children. We provide transitional
living and recovery support services to women who are coming out of
incarceration, rehabilitation centers, or domestic violence shelters.
That mouthful is all to say, I have spent my summer thus far with a
wonderful group of women and their children.
One particular little boy I adore is named Eli. Just a year
old, he does not say much but his actions speak volumes. Whenever he sees anyone he stretches out his
arms and reaches for them. It does not
matter who it is he sees or whose arms he is already in, he reaches for whoever
he lays eyes upon. It is funny to see
people’s reactions. Some just pass him by, either unaware of his presence or
uninterested in being touched. Others are just so used to this gesture they are
no longer moved by it. Yet for others, this small gesture of open arms brightens
their day, and they excitedly reach back for a full embrace.
Unknowingly, Eli graces me with his presence. He is a daily
reminder of the love offered to me. At just two feet tall and still a little
wobbly on his feet, Eli embodies the love and grace of God. Eli’s out-reached
arms know no bounds. He continues to reach out to anyone and everyone. In a community where too many women have had
their love exploited, this genuine sign of love gives me hope.
I wonder what the world would be like if we all lived with
arms stretched wide open.
Peace and Love from Nashville.
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Field Education
Field Education provides an opportunity for students to discern their vocational identity through contextual learning. Settings vary, from parish to non-profit and from domestic to international.
1 comment:
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