Working in downtown Lewiston has some disappointments. Not that Lewiston is at fault. It's just a place. We are a poor city so there are low income housing, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens - such things to attract those that we are here for. One such instance I touched upon almost 2 years ago in a blog post entitled "Fostering". It was all I wrote. I didn't want to talk too much about it because the young man was only 14.
This young man came to us through DHHS. We are not foster licensed, it was all word of mouth that we took in homeless youth. This boy had exhausted all his options in his 7 years in Foster care. You can only imagine my fear and trepidation. He had suffered a head injury from his father when he was just 3 weeks old, he lived with his mom and paternal grandparents until 7, then fostered by an older woman until 12, back to mom, back to grandparents, to DHHS when his mom wouldn't bother show her face in court to sign the paperwork signing him over the the State of Maine, to the shelter, then my house. His file was pretty thick on that day he arrived, and it was only after all was said and done that we found out they left some key info out of that packet.
We made it one month. During which time I got myself quite the education. I am fully educated in things that I thought I was already educated. So if I don't have a Doctorate I at least have a Masters in wounded teenage boy behavior. I worked hard that month, and prayed a lot. I'm not sure if I prayed enough, but I did pray a lot. We eat collard greens now and say things like..."Whatcha doin....?" in a sort of drawled out way. We know that fried chicken, watermelon, and grape Kool Aid all go together with the collard greens. I learned that people should not throw their cigarette butts on the ground cuz a 14 yr. old boy will go crazy to get out of the house to find them, and it seems like DHHS is willing to turn their head on a lot illegal behavior if it means keeping them in a home. I learned that family is crucial to young children. Kids learn too much, in too short of a time, and at such a young age to turn it around for these kids takes a lot of time and patience. Time is something our boy Qiyamah didn't have.
He died yesterday. I'm not sure why. I will be calling his grandma soon but right now I'm too scared to make the call. What do I say to a grandma that loved her boy but just couldn't be there for him the way he needed? My heart hurts for this young man that never fully realized the impact he had on this world, or that he had a Father ready and waiting for him.
Q - You lived life out loud, fearlessly, and sometimes impetuously. You had an infectous smile. You were sensitive and caring. Children and animals loved you. We had fun playing games with you. Church....well that was kinda a chore, but you sat there. I appreciated your honesty, and that you were open with your feelings. I am sorry if we failed you, but we did love you. May you find peace.
I am brokenhearted right now. I know we are supposed to sow the seeds and God gives the increase. It sounds easy when you read it but the reality is it's not. I hope that God has some increase somewhere from this, Q didn't deserve the life he got.
So he instructed them, "The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest. Luke 10:2
There are so many homeless youth in our state and probably your town as well. Are you willing to ask God to open your eyes and heart? or What about Fostering a child? These are our most vulnerable.
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