Studies indicate one in four women and one in six men experience child sexual abuse before age 18.* It is crucial for churches to be prepared to respond to abuse in a godly way, prioritizing safety, justice, and healing.
*For more statistics visit: https://t.co/KKBmNMLWjx
"The elderly gentleman was seated in the booth directly across from my family as we ate dinner Saturday night at Eat'n Park in Belle Vernon. We really didn't see him come in. But we did notice when our server, Dylan, dropped to one knee to look him eye-to-eye as he got ready to take his order.
The man apologized for not hearing too well. He had forgotten to put in his hearing aids. He talked about how he lost his hearing during his time in the war. He was 91 years old with many stories to tell. Dylan patiently listened giving him his full attention.
Eventually the man apologized for talking so much. 'I'm alone now,' he said, 'and I don't often have someone to talk to.' Dylan smiled and said he enjoyed listening. He then helped him figure out what to order and left to take it to the kitchen. It was a touching sight.
I wanted offer to pay for the man's dinner, but before I could flag down Dylan, a man seated at a nearby booth asked Dylan to bring him his check. 'Someone's already taken care of it,' Dylan smiled.
I guess we weren't the only ones eavesdropping on the conversation. After the man received his food Dylan came back to say he was on a break.
He asked if he could sit with the gentleman as he ate. As we left the restaurant the two of them were conversing and many people seated nearby were smiling. It was a touching sight.
With all of the negative stories about our youth today this was a breath of fresh air. I wonder if I would have been as kind and attentive if I were the one working there.
One thing's for sure, if you are ever at Eat'n Park in Belle Vernon, ask for Dylan. If he's your waiter you're certain to get great service."
Credit: Lisa Meilander
#BREAKING: A Toronto man is facing nearly 100 charges in connection with an investigation into the luring and sexual assault of underage victims throughout Ontario, including one who was just seven years old.
https://t.co/w8TbEIWlKC
My child didn't survive our school flu outbreak. He's an empty chair, a picture in a frame, a box of ashes.
We can't prevent every illness. That isn't realistic. We should take reasonable measures to reduce the spread of illness where we can. Why don't we?
#ForJudeForEveryone
My child had RSV at 10 weeks & again at 22 months. Both times resulted in multiple ER visits + hospital stay. Absolutely ZERO advantage for him to have had RSV at a young age, only risks (both acute & longer term). Anyone suggesting willful illness in children has lost their way.
Canadian and American researchers are looking for evangelical worship leaders to complete an online survey. If you can help the survey is at https://t.co/MZMAIsGGlM
After the resurrection, Jesus comes back to his failed disciples & instead of bringing up their mistakes, he sends them on mission.
In the Kingdom of God, our mistakes don't make us “unusable.” It’s through our mistakes that God demonstrates his incomparable grace in our lives.