Working for Youth

Here is something to think about for all of us who take care of children in one way or another...

St. John Bosco, the Apostle to Youth, wrote this:

Courage. Let us work whole-heartedly for youth. Let us do all we can for God's glory and the welfare of souls. Up there a great reward awaits us, the same as promised to Abraham: "I will make your reward exceedingly great." (Genesis 15:1) At times we may feel tired, exhausted, or overwhelmed by ailments, but we must take heart, because up there we shall rest forever.

There is some encouragement for us all in those words, most especially for those who form and shape the lives of children. Thanks to Fr. Daren for sharing this message with me, so I may share it with you.

Today my pastor from St. Peter's called. He said he'd been told that I am a talented "wordsmith." Well, that is a new word to me. I didn't ask exactly what that meant or who told him that, but I figured out that he knows I like to write and am somewhat decent at it. So I have my next project for my church. I will be writing a grant for a new computer lab for St. Peter's School. I have never written a grant, or even taken a class on grant-writing. But as Fr. John explained it to me...."it's like writing the gospels...know who your audience is, tell them about our values, and identify how they can help us fulfill our mission." Well I have thought a lot about that this afternoon. I will get the materials soon, and I am hopeful that I am up to the task. I know there are some successful grant-writers in the family already, so I may be calling upon them for their expertise!

Today has been a cold, windy, rainy winter day. But it was made beautiful for me when, after Bible Study, my buddy Norma gave me a gift. It was wrapped in an old shoebox with bright red paper and the word "Celebrate" all over it. It is a homemade fleece blanket with angels covering both sides. One is a guardian angel protecting two small children as they make their way. The other is carrying a US flag and is in protector mode. The blanket is fringed around the outside, and that work was done by Norma's daughter Theresa. WOW! What did I do to deserve such a gift? Well, Norma sat next to me in the post-prayer session and simply thanked me for being her friend.

It has always been easy to love Norma. I will treasure this gift as I rest and am warmed by it in more ways than one.