PINK DOORS (... part 2)

(Welcome back for story time!!)

Last spring I became involved with a beautiful local ministry called Compassionate Heart.  They are an organization that opens its doors and hearts to special needs young adults, ages 14-35.  They have a “club” type atmosphere where they can build friendships, learn about God, and hang out with peer mentors from area high schools.  If you’d like to check them out, they’re at www.compheart.org .  Anyway, they had asked me to decorate the Pinnacle Center for their annual fund raising dinner.  I was happy to help, but didn’t feel right that I’d never seen what their organization was about… nor had I met any of the participants.  To be honest, I had very little (if any) experience with people who have special needs… and will admit to being uncomfortable around them because of that lack of exposure.  I met my girlfriend there one afternoon to just “hang out”.  It was a remarkable experience.   What a great ministry.  What awesome young people!!  During “couch time”, the topic was Easter since it was just around the corner.  The woman leading the lesson was holding up those colorful plastic eggs,  shaking them until one of the participants guessed what was in them from the previous week’s lessons.  When they got to one particular egg, a young man raised his hand and guessed that it was a cross made of nails they had seen the prior week.  He was right.  They started talking about how Jesus had died on the cross for them.  At that moment… a girl from the back of the room started bouncing up and down on the couch raising her hand anxiously in the air and shouting “Wait for Easter, wait for Easter, it’s the VERY BEST PART!!!”.  She was SO enthusiastic.  The leader continued her discussion about the nail cross in the plastic egg… and once again, the girl bounced up and down eagerly saying “But wait for Easter, wait for Easter, it’s the very best part!!!”  Her enthusiasm, joy and love was SO PURE… it brought tears to my eyes.  You see, I had been so busy getting things ready for the fundraising event that I really hadn’t even thought much about Easter.  I said to myself at that moment, “Young lady… little do you know, you were MY EASTER this year”.  

STAY TUNED.   We'll finally wrap this all up.... tomorrow.