THE DORK ON THE PLAYGROUND

Here is a wonderful story from one of the mentors that works with KidsHope USA, a ministry supported here locally by the Nehemiah Foundation.

I wanted to pass along an update of my mentoring session yesterday with Jeffrey.  It was an easy day ‘work-wise’ for him during our hour.  We did a 100 piece puzzle and practiced writing his name in cursive.  The writing exercise was a bit of a success, because one of the other aides wanted him to do it but he gave 100 excuses why he couldn’t.  I simply took the paper from the aide and asked Jeffrey, ‘why don’t we just write your name and then we’ll go outside?’  He did, and we did, but this brings me to the dork on the playground. 

Jeffrey does not like the sun, so he wears a big fishing hat when we go outside.  For whatever reason, he also wears those big Mickey Mouse hearing protection muffs.  As we were leaving the room, he handed me a pair.  My first thought was to say, “no, that’s ok, I don’t need them.”  My second thought was how ridiculous would I look wearing hearing protection while running around the playground in broad daylight.  My third thought was how would this make Jeffrey feel if I refused?

So down the hall I went with Jeffrey.  He was just chatting away, but because of the ear muffs I couldn’t hear a thing he was saying.  Passing several students in the hallway, everyone seemed to all be in a good mood … they were all smiling and some laughing! 

As we went out the door I thought, “please don’t let anyone be on the playground”, but it was too late. There must have been 500 kids out there and they all turned simultaneously in our direction. “Gee, I wonder what all those students are looking at? “ It was at this time that Jeffrey took off to our tree headquarters in the back lot.  Fortunately, once there we took our head gear off.  

Thirty minutes later, it was time to trot back across the “barren waste land to home base”, otherwise known as the classroom.  As we trotted across the yard (with Jeffrey yakking away) there is a whole new group of 500 students watching.  As we get closer to the building, Jeffrey informs me that we must jump over every expansion joint in the sidewalk.  The noise of laughter is unmistakable.

All those painful memories of being different … being the last person picked for a game … being laughed at because of the clothes you wore … all those memories were playing in the back of my mind for 30 of the longest minutes of my life.  I thought to myself, “I have some measure of success in the business world. I don’t need this kind of ridicule.”

You know what? It wasn’t about me yesterday between the hour of noon and 1 o’clock. It was all about a young fourth grader with some troubles in his life and what I could do to make him feel special for 60 minutes out of a day.  If by wearing the hearing protection for 30 minutes young Jeffrey felt better about himself, then it was well worth it. Yes, most definitely it was worth it for Jeffrey, my good friend.

Jeffrey’s mentor did something we think God has done for us. God came down to our level and gave us Jesus. Jeffrey’s mentor came down to Jeffrey’s level to give Him Jesus with skin on him. Your partnership with us fosters these kinds of life changing relationships. Thank you!!