Be a HERO for Kids like David
Be a Hero.
by Rev. Elliot M. Smith, President
Eight-year-old David never slept in pajamas. He wouldn’t even get under the covers. Instead, he would lie down on top of the comforter, sleeping fully clothed. We didn’t push the issue; David would share when he felt safe enough—when he was ready.
Emotions can be hard to express, even for adults. I confess I have been guilty of my feelings coming out “sideways” because I didn’t have a handle on exactly what I was feeling at the moment!
You can imagine then, being a kid. Your life has been suddenly turned upside down. You are living in a new place, with strangers you’ve never met. You may have even been separated from your brothers and sisters because it’s hard to find a foster home who can take you all.
David’s life had been in turmoil so long that he struggled to express his emotions. Whether he was mad, glad, sad, or scared – it would all come gushing out in uncontrollable outbursts.
You can help us help kids and families find, and use, the right words. That may not seem like a big deal, but doing so gives them a sense of control over all the messy stuff going on in their lives. This sense of control brings hope, and hope promotes healing.
It’s hard, no impossible, for kids like David to put their emotions into words, let alone to trust and to love without help. So with your help, we can begin the process of helping hurting children like David begin to heal from the trauma they have experienced.
So with your help, we can begin the process of helping hurting children like David begin to heal from the trauma they have experienced.
With lots of help made possible by people like you, David began to feel safe for the first time in a very long time. By learning how to identify what he was feeling, David started getting control of his emotions and begin his road to healing.David would later tell us that he slept on top of the comforter with his clothes on because, like a “superhero,” it would help keep him safe from all the bad things that had happened to him in the night. Hard words to hear coming from any child – let alone an eight-year-old. He is certainly a superhero in my book, but that’s no job for a kid when the scary stuff is all too real.
You will be happy to know that David no longer lives in fear of the night. He wears real PJ’s (superhero themed, of course!) and when he goes to bed at night he sleeps knowing he is safe and loved.
Can you imagine being a “superhero” in the lives of children like David? You can join us with your gift of support today!
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