3rd Shift Thoughts

WARNING: The poem that follows is heart wrenching.
This is just one of the poems that a teen wrote and shared with me. After I was able to speak again, she granted me permission to have a copy and share it with others. This teen has since left NY and last I knew was in Florida. She, along with so many others chose to seek the love she longs for in anyone that will give her the time of day, and for her it didn't matter anymore if it was a boy or girl. She just wanted to be loved. So the next time you see a teen that seems to be all together or those that are into the Goth or whatever the extreme is nowadays, remember that you don't know their lives......but you do know that they need Christ. Please share Christ with them. Don't be afraid of them. They may put on an act in front of their "friends" on how tough and disrespectful they are, but if you can get them alone you will most likely be very surprised at how much they listen to you. And if you feel they just blow you off.....know this.....they are thinking about what you said. From an encouraging comment (even if you think their hair looks horrid, tell them how cool it looks cause it does in their circle) to the full Gospel, when you leave them, pray for them like a mad person. This why my wife and I do youth ministry. God saved us from hell and died a viscous beating and death for us.....how dare we ignore hurting people. Our passion is for teens and families. And when I get frustrated with youth ministry or feel weary or ready to give up, I read this poem that I have as the cover of my youth ministry binder, and clearly remember what God has called me to do and will give the strength to do.

After I read this poem for the first time, I was just silent and then told the girl, "Wow. I, I don't know what to do with this." She just gave a half smile and nodded. "Sh-- happens and you just have to figure out how to deal with it and get through it. Hopefully you come through it ok and can help someone else" she replied. She floored me. Warning, this is a bit graphic and you will need to be sitting down with tissues. NOT FOR CHILDREN.

Mamma Help Me
He comes home late again with whiskey on his breath,
In the air is the stench of certain death,
As he climbs the stairs up to my room, where I lie sound asleep,
I must have done something wrong, 'cause he tears me from my dreams,
And throws me out of the bed.
As I stumble half asleep through the darkness I feel the blood streaming from my head,
I swell up with fear as he charges at me with fire in his eyes.
I scream, "mamma help me", but she doesn't seem to hear my cries.
Then he lashes at me with the buckle of his belt,
Pain, fear, and blood were all I felt,
As I screamed, and half begged, "mamma, please help me, I don't know what to do",
But still, no one comes to my rescue,
Then I cry out as he grabs me by the hair and drags me down the stairs,
He hits me again and tells me to shut up, before the neighbor hears,
I feel light headed and dizzy from the loss of blood.
But still I plead,"mamma why won't you help me? what did I do wrong?"
Then he grasps me by the throat, I can't breathe, I struggle to get free, but his grasp is too strong,
I sink to the floor, unconscious and near death,
I wake up in a hospital room, alive but confused,
I think to myself, "why am I here? in my house is where I thought I took my last breath"
Suddenly another question pops into my head,
"Who brought me here? Surely not the man who tried to kill me?"
But sure enough there he was, looking as concerned and innocent as can be,
Then I look to his left and ask, "mamma, why wouldn't you help me?"

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