Our students lives are filled with broken relationships and hardships, which often times leads to hopelessness. Understanding there is a God that not only sees them exactly where they are but has a purpose for them is a lot to grasp. However, thinking about how transformed their lives and outlook would be if they simply knew the love of God is so exciting. So how do we, as a staff, show them this love?
We discussed this very idea. As Christians, some of the most powerful times in our faith are the times we feel seen by God. So how do we need to be noticing our students in the same lens to show them God’s love and purpose for them? This means not only seeing our students, but showing them they are seen; not only loving them, but telling them they are loved. I don’t know if there are any “words of affirmation” people out there, but sometimes a reminder we all need to hear is that we are simply noticed.
This has been a challenge that we have taken on at Kinwell: going into each day with the mindset of making our students feel seen past what they are showing. This means asking questions, digging deeper, and affirming qualities in the students they might not even see in themselves. When we do this, we are sharing the posture God takes to see each of us; that despite the circumstances, hardships, and pain He loves us and sees purpose in us as His children. We want our students to feel this graceful purpose; so when they leave here they have hope that their purpose is not in the circumstances in front of them, but in the One that loves them.
Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
