One of my favorite things about being out on the field and doing mission work is working with kids. I worked with kids a lot back home, as well. I taught dance classes for elementary age girls, served at a church with toddlers, tutored middle school students with a non-profit, and did private tutoring with kids of multiple ages. There are a few things that I enjoy as much as being with kids. Just the other day, I found myself on the floor being tackled by two boys at the ministry. Over here in Costa Rica, all three organizations that my team is at involve kids. On Tuesdays, we end our days playing games with kids and creating a space where they can have fun after school. Wednesdays and Thursdays, we have two programs each day where we play and have a bible teaching with kids of all ages.
I’ve always been a quiet person, especially in social settings. In my first semester of college classes, I realized I had a specific habit. I would never sit in the first row of chairs because I liked to observe the other students and their behaviors. Towards the end of the semester, their progress in the course would become evident, and I would analyze how their actions may have contributed to their success.
As we all know, kids have a lot of funny behaviors and weird habits. However, there are always specific actions which if, analyzed correctly, can raise a red flag. During my time tutoring my middle school students, I quickly grew accustomed to picking up on these red flag behaviors. It was no easy task because, as a person who was primarily responsible for their academic success, I wanted to focus on just that. One day I saw one of my students walk in, and he had a black eye. Now, this student was infamously known for getting into fights, but he hadn’t let himself get hurt so far that school year. He told us he got into a fight, and we were convinced for the time being. Fast forward a few weeks, and I was accidentally caught in a conversation where the students talking didn’t realize I was there. One of the parents in the household of this child was abusive. At that moment, it all clicked for me. I could’ve easily dismissed this claim, but I remembered the odd black eye. This student wouldn’t get into fights just to cause trouble, it was how he saw problems be resolved at home. Him getting into fights was just the tip of the iceberg. The standard protocol for a student who missed many days of school got into fights and got bad grades would have been to remove him from the program. Being able to recognize that these behaviors were just the tip of the iceberg allowed me to advocate for this student and his brother. I talked with my boss so that these boys could have a safe space there, even if they weren’t able to keep up with the standards.
All of our lives look like this… We all have behaviors that can be misinterpreted by outsiders because they have deep, underlying causes. There are two sides to this coin. On one end, I encourage you to recognize your most common behaviors and delve into why you engage in them so often. On the other hand, we have to have grace when we see practices that are less than ideal. We can’t see the full picture of someone’s life, and we are no one to judge them without any consideration. We all have our own icebergs of actions vs. causes. Use that knowledge to help others instead of condemning them. Ask yourself what that behavior might mean.
That’s this weeks blog, I’ll be heading into the jungle tomorrow to work with two indigenous tribes in Costa Rica. Keep my squad in your prayers, please! I’ll still be posting a blog next Sunday. Keep an eye out for it. Love you guys!
