These are My People

I cut my finger last week on Memorial Day. Our family was just about to sit down to dinner, and I was cutting up an avocado. (I hear that is a 'thing'. They call it 'Avocado Hand' because so many people cut their fingers while cutting an avocado. I had no idea.) As I rushed to the bathroom my husband came to assist me. He kept telling me that I needed to go get stitches. I didn't want to go get stitches. My family was there. I told him to just put a bandaid on it. It was immediately saturated in blood. He inisisted again that I go get stitches. I asked him to try a butterfly bandage. He tried and then looked at me and said, "Valerie, there is no way we can stop the bleeding. You have to go get stitches". So, I went. He was right. I got 6 stiches.

A couple of months ago my nephew passed away unexpectedly. When I got the call I immediately called my sister, who lives in Lubbock.  A friend of hers answered and I asked if needed to come. She asked my sister who said no. I began to call my family to tell them the awful news. As I was talking to my daughter I told her that I didn't know what to do. She adamantly said, "Mom you need to go. You have to go." She was right, and so I left immediately.

My point is that we need people. We need people in our lives to speak truth to us when we can't see it. That is what we get to do at the PARC. We speak truth to those that come who can't see it in the middle of the storm. Their situations are difficult and feels out of control. It is easy to get caught up and not realize the answer, which can be so clear to those on the outside. As volunteers and staff at the PARC we may not know the answer, but we get to remind them that they are valuable. We get to remind them that there are possibilites inside them that they have forgotten. We remind them that there is an answer inside of them and they will find their way out. We need people, and at the PARC these are our people. What a wonderful joy and privilege that is. Thank you for creating an environment of hope and encouragement where there are people to love, encourage and speak truth.