This past Thursday our cohort was blessed with the special opportunity to bless others who are not as fortunate as we are. We all had to wake up very early (which was probably the only bad part of the whole day) in order to drive to skid row in LA. Once we arrived at the Fred Jordan Mission on skid row, they started showing us what we would be doing that day. My group was going to be escorting young children through a maze of different booths where they would receive brand new shoes, socks, jeans, shirts, backpacks, school supplies, food, lotion, and even a fresh new haircut! I knew this was going to be really cool!
The first people I escorted consisted of two young kids and their parents (parents weren't actually allowed..). This was a bit of challenge because they didn't speak good english and the parents were in control for the most part, leaving me to only shadow them around. After the family was done, I walked back and met Josiah. Josiah was a 9 year old boy and we clicked from the start. He was super excited to get some new Nikes, especially a pair of Jordan's (he thought it was funny when I said that my name is Jordan). I asked him if he liked sports and he said that he liked football and basketball and his favorite teams were the Lakers and Raiders. This was great since I love sports too! I told him that I played both football and basketball and I played quarterback, which Josiah told me was his favorite position too. When we ended up getting his brand new Nikes, he was stoked! Then I told him it was time to get some clothes and he was even more excited. Someone handed him a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He kept on asking when he could get his backpack. He picked out a blue backpack and grabbed the other things that came along with it. The last thing I asked him was if he wanted a haircut. He immediately said that he would love a new haircut. So I watched him get his hair trimmed and styled for a half hour, letting him know it was looking good as he smirked and looked away from me. Once he was done it was time to find his mom. When he found her, he ran to her and showed her everything he got. They both waved goodbye to me as I walked away.
Meeting Josiah was really blessing. It was amazing to see how excited he was for things that we take for granted every day! I felt like I was really able to connect with him. I always think about how God calls us to be a light shining in His world, and I felt honored that I could meet a young kid and be a positive influence in his life. Even if we only met for 45 minutes I hope that I made a difference in his life. He ended up changing my outlook on life and I won't ever forget our brief encounter. It was a great reminder of how blessed we are and how we should be thankful for everything He has given us.
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