Patience

I just posted a long incomplete blog from a month ago, i haven't felt much like writing and I haven't had consistent access to a computer, which for a blabbermouth like me doesn't bode well for much writing. The past month has been more waiting than I could have imagined. My health is still not completely normal and I still have not started my new dream job. Yay for waiting on the state to return my child abuse clearance form which is absolutely required before I start my job where I'm not directly working with children daily, while I'm fully able to work at the Salvation Army w/ a million kids while the paperwork is in processing. 

Anyhow, i digress, i just want to be normal, for me at least. In two days I will be two dozen years old and I have a car, a cell phone and a good job, it all feels so weird. Waiting for the form sucks, but at least it gives me a chance to help with the Salvation Army's toy give-away and Christmas ministries. 

Today the Learning Zone was closed, so i really had nothing to do in the evening, but I ran into Maliq at the sal and told him to come to my house so we could do our tutoring there. I stopped by his house to check with someone and his older brother Jason came over too. I supervised as he made taco salad for us while we worked on Maliq's math. It's crazy, his older brother is crazy smart and goes to a charter school and plans to go to college while Maliq is struggling big time w/ his school and his behavior. I love spending time w/ both of them. Maliq ate a giant bullion cube much to my amazement.

We shared Hi/Lo's and i shared about my frustration w/ my child abuse clearance and the criminal background check and when they asked me questions I showed them pictures from last year when I was arrested for protesting the budget cuts to pertinent social programs and the concurrent tax cuts to high brackets. They laughed so hard when they saw the picture of me smiling as the cops put cuffs on me. 

I really enjoy the fact that this is normal to me. That it's normal to have Tyree come over and watch America's Next Top Model after we go to Bible Study. I'm not ashamed of watching and I can claim that it's part of being in a mentoring role, i was hoping Anchal would have gone farther. Saturday Percy went w/ me to center city and took him to the Reading Terminal Market for the first time, as i did some christmas shopping at one of my favorite spots in the city, so full of character, tradition and so many different people, sights and smells. We had coffee samples as we walked around Rittenhouse Square and I explained to him about fair trade as we shopped around Ten Thousand Villages. I love that I can do stuff like that with young boys who don't have fathers or real father figures. I am truly humbled to have the opportunity to share in their development. We truly are ordinary radicals blessed to be part of God's coming and present kingdom.

One thing I'm learning to appreciate more and more is the strong values and growth that develops out of the physical structure of the city. All the common space, interactions with the stranger, perspective, art and beauty, confrontation with the margins of society; it is the perfect opportunity to be challenged and inspired in our understanding of community which is extremely fundamental to love. I read a fantastic book about this and I will share more later, peace and much love to ya