So, Why do you CARE?
The "WHY I?" Challenge has caused quite the stir. It makes us look at our reasons. Our truth. It started with the question.... "why?"
During a class in the CR House, a man answered a homework question with a quick vague "I need to change" The teacher had just heard a sermon talking about "asking yourself the 7 whys to get to the root". So he put it to the test. The teacher leaned back and asked, "Why do you need to change?" the student was taken back. "Well, I cant stay the same." (2) "Why cant you stay the same?". The student looked at him like he was missing marbles. Again he asked, "WHY cant you stay the same?" Looked flippant as he shrugged "If i stay the same I cant stay here" The teacher knew he was referring to the progressive weekly chart they all have to do but he leaned forward (3) "Why here?" "I've tried so many programs, so many groups, heck I even tried church.... but nothing changed." (4) "Why do you think it didn't work?", "I dunno, I just kept going back" (5) "Why what makes this different?" He looked at his brothers who studies everyday right next to him looking just as intently back at him. The questions, answers, hurts, failures, memories played over each mans face along with the teacher going down this "Why I journey" with him. "Im not alone. For the first time I don't feel alone. This is different." (6) "Why is that important?" A long hard from the depths of past deep pits a surrender sigh fills the room. "Hope" (7) "Why what does hope look like to you?" Glancing off he was no longer in the room. What he saw, made us see was "WHY we do what we do...." " Hope looks like having my kids in my life. Being the dad the husband i am suppose to be. Having them look at me with respect, love. Showing them love, not like i was shown by my dad but real love. The Jesus kind of love." He looks back "I want them to know Him. I want them to not make the same mistakes I made. To be a real man. I want to be a good man. Ive done so many bad things, hurt so many people. Heck I don't even deserve to be here... but here i am. I HAVE to do this, I WILL do this. "
So........... Why do we do Celebrating Recovery House? Restoration. Later I had the privilege of being in the room as this man spoke with his family for the first time in 90 days on speaker phone. His oldest daughter (15yrs old) said "Daddy you don't sound the same." He said "Baby Im not the same." The HOPE he had found filled the room. Filled the phone lines, filled that once broken, scarred family and brought HOPE on the scene. Before he hung up he said "I can not wait to you guys meet our new family here. You will love them and they will love you."
That is our WHY......... What is yours? Why do you care? Why do you invest good hard earned money in men that you may never meet this side of heaven? Why do you pray for them as if they were your own flesh and blood? Why do you spend hours planning, emailing, hosting parties just so you can get the word out that there is "A place" for men to go to change? Why do you have a stack of cards in your car to hand out if you come across someone wanting to change? Why? Why do you bake an extra dinner once a week for the men to have a real home cooked dinner? Why?? What is your Why? Is it kinda like his? Hope? Faith? Love? Maybe it is as simple as we were created in HIS image... and what would Jesus do? He would look at that man and say "With me all things will be made new." ..... Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone the new is here! (NIV 2 Cor 5:17) . NLT says it this way; "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone, a new life has begun!"
During a class in the CR House, a man answered a homework question with a quick vague "I need to change" The teacher had just heard a sermon talking about "asking yourself the 7 whys to get to the root". So he put it to the test. The teacher leaned back and asked, "Why do you need to change?" the student was taken back. "Well, I cant stay the same." (2) "Why cant you stay the same?". The student looked at him like he was missing marbles. Again he asked, "WHY cant you stay the same?" Looked flippant as he shrugged "If i stay the same I cant stay here" The teacher knew he was referring to the progressive weekly chart they all have to do but he leaned forward (3) "Why here?" "I've tried so many programs, so many groups, heck I even tried church.... but nothing changed." (4) "Why do you think it didn't work?", "I dunno, I just kept going back" (5) "Why what makes this different?" He looked at his brothers who studies everyday right next to him looking just as intently back at him. The questions, answers, hurts, failures, memories played over each mans face along with the teacher going down this "Why I journey" with him. "Im not alone. For the first time I don't feel alone. This is different." (6) "Why is that important?" A long hard from the depths of past deep pits a surrender sigh fills the room. "Hope" (7) "Why what does hope look like to you?" Glancing off he was no longer in the room. What he saw, made us see was "WHY we do what we do...." " Hope looks like having my kids in my life. Being the dad the husband i am suppose to be. Having them look at me with respect, love. Showing them love, not like i was shown by my dad but real love. The Jesus kind of love." He looks back "I want them to know Him. I want them to not make the same mistakes I made. To be a real man. I want to be a good man. Ive done so many bad things, hurt so many people. Heck I don't even deserve to be here... but here i am. I HAVE to do this, I WILL do this. "
So........... Why do we do Celebrating Recovery House? Restoration. Later I had the privilege of being in the room as this man spoke with his family for the first time in 90 days on speaker phone. His oldest daughter (15yrs old) said "Daddy you don't sound the same." He said "Baby Im not the same." The HOPE he had found filled the room. Filled the phone lines, filled that once broken, scarred family and brought HOPE on the scene. Before he hung up he said "I can not wait to you guys meet our new family here. You will love them and they will love you."
That is our WHY......... What is yours? Why do you care? Why do you invest good hard earned money in men that you may never meet this side of heaven? Why do you pray for them as if they were your own flesh and blood? Why do you spend hours planning, emailing, hosting parties just so you can get the word out that there is "A place" for men to go to change? Why do you have a stack of cards in your car to hand out if you come across someone wanting to change? Why? Why do you bake an extra dinner once a week for the men to have a real home cooked dinner? Why?? What is your Why? Is it kinda like his? Hope? Faith? Love? Maybe it is as simple as we were created in HIS image... and what would Jesus do? He would look at that man and say "With me all things will be made new." ..... Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone the new is here! (NIV 2 Cor 5:17) . NLT says it this way; "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone, a new life has begun!"
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