Reality...

As I walked into Watkins last night one of the girls from The Surf (TDWM's 1st-6th grade youth program) came up to me and said, "He got stabbed." I was thinking, what? Who got stabbed? And then I asked, "What!" She pointed to one of the kids who is in The Wave (TDWM's 7th-12th grade youth program). Even though its been a couple months, I still don't know ALL the kids who come hang out with us, but I did happen to know this kid. His name is Bryant. I asked him to come talk to me and was just trying to figure out what happened. This boy is maybe 13, maybe! He's a 7th grader! And he really did get stabbed! What's even crazier to me is this isn't uncommon, it probably isn't as "big of a deal" to most people in that neighborhood as it was to me when I heard it. I tried to get the story out of him and I'm thinking there could very well be some missing pieces in there...but, he told me that him, his brother, and his cousin were all outside this weekend when a kid from school walked up to them and said he was going to kill them -- another Jr. High student, mind you. This kid went back home, grabbed a knife, and came back to the boys with some friends. Bryant told me this kid started swinging the knife around and came really close to him so he threw his arm up to block his face and that's when he was stabbed. He showed me where his arm is all bandaged up and has over 50 stitches inside his arm and over 50 on the surface! He saw "stuff", as he said, hanging out of his arm...but, also made sure to let me know that he did NOT cry! Oh, boys! :) He isn't going to school this week because of it, and I really hope things will be okay when both boys are back in school together.
Please, please pray for Bryant! And pray for Riverside -- we love the kids that we work with and would hate to see anything happen to any of them! God has given a lot of people big dreams and provided them with great imagination of what that neighborhood could be if people would learn to love. So, really...pray for Riverside!

Comment From My Amazing Friend, Cathy:
"Jena,
I have a fondness for all of my Wave kids but Bryant holds a very large place in my heart! I would bring him home in a heart beat if his Momma said it was okay. He is my Buddy! We just got off the phone with his Mom, we called right away when we read this. We found out that we know the boy who stabbed him as well. He used to come to the ... See MoreWave. Bryant's Mom is very scared and upset, as well she should be. It is time to get more serious about these boys lives! Time to step up and do what we as Christians are called to do! This really hits home and brings the reality in to focus of what it means to live in Riverside and how God has placed us there to Disciple these young men and woman and Roar like a Wave over Riverside. Thank you so much for letting us know and your continued work with these kids! We love you Jena!"