"Whether we become merciful people or killers depends very much on who tells us what life is about.” -Nouwen
Some facts:
There are 30 MILLION fatherless children in America.
Children without a father are 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders.
63% of youth who commit suicide grew up in fatherless homes.
71% of high school dropouts grew up in fatherless homes.
Same deal with 85% of youth who are incarcerated and 90% of youth who are homeless or run away from home.
__________________________
A desperate need exists in our own neighborhoods, on our own streets, in the apartment next door. Those facts above are true, but they don't tell the whole story. The Mentoring Project seeks to respond to the American crisis of fatherlessness by inspiring and equipping faith communities to mentor fatherless boys.
Watch as these lives show you the other side of the story:
Seth Godin notes: "Mentoring is rarely about the facts of the deal...but instead is a transfer of emotion and confidence."
This is a crisis that is solvable. Investing your life and your own story can rewrite the story of a young kid who otherwise would likely end up increasing the statistics listed above. You can transfer confidence. You can give emotion, and love. You can help one kid understand that he matters.
For me, it's really easy to get caught up in this "season of giving" by purchasing material items for family members out of some misguided sense of obligation. But I think we have some greater- some higher- obligations. Deuteronomy 10:18 says, "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow."
I want to be a person who is constantly about the business of God. And I believe that the business of God is about redemption. I exist within a deep, unfathomable grace that I don't deserve. These fatherless kids, our neighbors, the teenager bagging my groceries so he and his mom can buy dinner-- these people need that grace.
Will you consider supporting this vision to change the face of America?
Learn more about The Mentoring Project on their website. Learn more about the fatherless crisis in TMP's President John Sowers' book, Fatherless Generation.
No comments:
Post a Comment