Much better than a week ago.
The sunny, mild days certainly help.
I went for an hour long walk yesterday and visited a friend working at the new Youth for Christ (YFC) facility. He gave me a tour of the place.
What an incredible facility! Indoor skate park; an indoor and outdoor climbing wall (50 feet high); a huge gymnasium dividable into 2 smaller gyms, with basketball, volleyball, and floor hockey; a fully equipped workout room; pool tables, ping pong, air hockey, foozball, and several large video games; meeting rooms; lounge areas; several kitchens; counseling services; sitting areas; and more.
It is an impressive facility for kids 13-18 years old, set in one of the most impoverished areas of our city. When I was there (in the middle of the afternoon) the skate park was a busy place; there were probably 25 - 30 young men (16-18 yrs old) zipping around trying out their various tricks and maneuvers.
In the 12 - 13 years that I worked in mental health, I was part of many informal conversations / discussions (mostly just dreaming out loud) of the need of such a facility for adults with mental illness who live in poverty and lack the resources to access recreational programs and facilities such as this. While the need and value of such a facility was acknowledged there was a distinct lack of political will, funding, and interested, committed people to develop a cutting edge facility such as the one YFC has built.
I wonder what it would take to fill that need?
Who would initiate it?
Who would fund it?
Who would support it?
Who would run it?
Do I have the energy to explore the idea?
Who would I approach to assist me?
Do I want to take on that stress? Why?
Do I really want to get involved in the mental health system again? Why?
I'm very reluctant to do that.
But... is that my new calling?
I don't know. It's just a thought.
I'll have to chat with God about it.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility
value others above yourselves,
not looking to your own interests but
each of you to the interests of the others.
Philippians 2: 3-4
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