Tough Questions - Can You Help Me?
Friday, March 25, 2011 at 8:19AM Earlier this week we took a field trip to Atlanta to see a wonderful production by The Atlanta Opera, The Pirates of Penzance. It's a great light comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan - a perfect introduction to opera. We enjoyed the show so much! I could blog about things you could do with this opera in your homeschool. I have lots of ideas about that. That, however, isn't what has been on my heart for the past few days.
After the performance we stopped downtown to visit my husband in his new offices. He has always worked "downtown", but the new offices are right in the thick of things. If you're familiar with Atlanta - Peachtree Center. As we drove I was talking with the kids about being excited to go see daddy. I love the sights and sounds of downtown. The hustle and bustle always excites me, and takes me back to a time when we lived closer in town and I was getting my graduate degree at Georgia State University. We also attended an "in town" church.
As I looked in my rear view mirror I could see Miss B wasn't smiling and she wasn't talking. I asked her what was wrong and she stated simply, "I don't like coming down here. The homeless people make me too sad." That is my girl for you. She has a heart the size of Texas and when she sees someone else hurting she hurts, too. She reminds me of myself when I was younger, and I think that as I've gotten older I've perhaps hardened a little. Why is that?
We met daddy in his lobby and proceeded to walk to lunch - passing several homeless people along the way. One woman in particular, stands out to me. She was singing a lovely spiritual and the sign she was holding said "Jesus Saves!". We whisked by her (in a hurry I guess) and my daughter grabbed my hand and said "Look, mom. She believes in Jesus. How come she is homeless?" Tough questions. I wanted to stop and talk to this woman, to give her a little money, and to tell her I appreciated her singing. Why didn't I do that? I am disappointed in myself.
I know we need to do MORE to help the hurting in our own community. I want to foster this compassion in my children and allow them to help in some way. I'm thinking volunteering at the soup kitchen in our former downtown church may be the thing. I don't want my children to be de-sensitized to the suffering going on around them. I don't want them to think these people are less than us, or that they are there because they made poor choices. The simple fact is this: we are all God's children, and I believe that we are to help those in need (no matter their reasons for being in need).
It's easy to teach academics, but it's not so easy to teach compassion.
How would you have answered my sweet daughter? Do you and your children volunteer in some way to help people in need? I'd love to get your comments and suggestions on this one. I don't have a curriculum guide or a sleek blog to consult on this one.
I'll leave you with a picture -- to lighten up the mood a little. This was taken in my husband's building. Can you tell my children are feeling the love?
Reader Comments (8)
My husband is very good about stopping to pick up a meal for a homeless person. I know some people give out little care packages that you can keep in your car. We haven't yet volunteered at a homeless shelter, but it's on our list of things to do! I agree, tough questions!
So many tough questions. And the easy answers aren't the right ones. Compassion and empathy are so hard to teach.
We do things through the service projects that are sponsored at the three places that Sheridan takes enrichment classes. We also help with providing meals for SHARE house (a shelter for abused women/children) http://www.sharehousedouglas.org/. MUST Ministries (http://www.mustministries.org/volunteers/index.aspx) has many opportunities that we take advantage of in being able to help others. I know these are far from you, but perhaps there is something similar closer to you. We talk about this Bible verse: "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Proverbs 22:9 and how we are so richly blessed that we share those blessings with those less fortunate. I think compassion and empathy are things that must be experienced and cannot be 'taught' in the traditional sense.
This is a thought provoking post. I admit that I need much work in this area. We give constantly to Good Will but that is not the same as helping those in need, because really...all we are doing is getting rid of things we do not want or need anymore. I have never worked in a soup kitchen or did anything else "hands on" to help the homeless. My husband is a bit desensitized towards the homeless because he is surrounded by them everyday (he's a firefighter/paramedic in a city which has a very heavily population of homeless people who always call 911 to complain of a stomach ache when the weather is cold so that they can get inside a warm hospital waiting room -- so sad. But yet, my husband has become sort of immune to it all, and fed up with wasting his call time having to take someone to the hospital who is not truly sick.) When we pass a "Homeless: Please help" sign being held by a person on a street corner, we do not stop to give money. What are we teaching our children? Certainly not compassion. Again, your post is thought provoking. We are going to have to make some changes, for sure.
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Have a great weekend:)
I don't have an answer only because I think I might be like you where I've hardened a little over the years. I used to wonder how I could include it as a subject in school because I really want them to be compassionate. I'm realizing that one of the best ways to teach them is to show them; the way you treat them as well as the way you treat others.
During the month of April, we're partnering w/Soles4Souls and collecting shoes in our county. I've done this before, but my children were younger. This year, I plan to involve them in the project and I hope it will be one of many we'll do together.
It sounds like your daughter already has a compassionate heart. I think you have a good start for a discussion with a statement you made,"...we are all God's children, and I believe that we are to help those in need (no matter their reasons for being in need).
Ok more intense than I thought :) Be honest...honesty, it so important. Because our children will find out either way...and if we were honest they will come to value our opinion.
We don't always know why there is homeless, hurting etc etc...but we are to help them anyway. Believing in Jesus doesn't mean bad things will never happen....of course we need to answer with age appropriate-ness. :)
What a great point. Compassion IS difficult to teach, and the best way to teach it, is to live it. Sounds like you're doing a great job. I also love how you are incorporating the arts and real life lessons.
That is a tough question. I haven't been in that situation, but I don't know what I would have done.
I've heard that often times "homeless" people aren't actually homeless and just use the signs to get money. I forgot what I was reading, but it said the best thing to do for the homeless and needy was to give to your local homeless shelter or food pantry. That way the homeless can use those resources and you know your money was put to good use.