Jesus is coming down the mountain. And so you know there’s going to be a teaching given to the crowd before him. And he preaches a version of the beatitudes as we know them. Powerful words of hope to those who are right before him. 

Think about who it was who was right before the lord as he was preaching. These were people who were hungering for good news. People who were hungering for hope. People who were disenfranchised and lived on the fringe of society. Desperate people looking for hope in the good news of Jesus that he preaches. 

So I reflected on that. It brought me back to a story here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls with our young people. It happened at a thanksgiving celebration about a year ago. It was at the thanksgiving celebration prior to having a meal together that we had a prayer service. And as a part of the prayer service we all sang the song as everyone stood up, “lean on me.” You might know that song. It’s a beautiful song and it’s got a great rhythm to it and we kept singing the song over and over and over again, “Lean on me.” 

And as I was looking ahead, there was one of our therapists, one of our best, and next to her was one of the young men here at the home. and he wasn’t caught in the joy of the singing. He suffers from depression. He suffers from antisocial behavior. And it broke my heart as I was watching everybody else singing and swaying back together, singing, “lean on me.” And he stood there like a rock.  

But this therapist, as I said, is very good and she saw what was going on. And so as we were singing she began to bump into him. And he’d look at her and she’d bump into him again. And absolutely no expression. And then she’d bump into him again as we were all singing. And finally it happened, joy, hope, a breakthrough. 

He listened to the music. Somehow it had captured him now. And the rhythm of the therapist bumping into him, getting him involved with the action taking place. And within moments he too was singing and swaying with the music, being a part of the crowd, being in the presence of hope, being in the presence of joy, being in the presence of acceptance and being welcomed in. That’s what Jesus did as he preached those beautiful beatitudes on the mountain. 

And that’s what we do here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. Reach out, embrace, include, and give hope to our children. And we can only do that because of good people like yourself, because of your prayer. 

Please continue to pray for this wonderful mission of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. 

Jesus is coming down the mountain. And so you know there’s going to be a teaching given to the crowd before him. And he preaches a version of the beatitudes as we know them. Powerful words of hope to those who are right before him. 

Think about who it was who was right before the lord as he was preaching. These were people who were hungering for good news. People who were hungering for hope. People who were disenfranchised and lived on the fringe of society. Desperate people looking for hope in the good news of Jesus that he preaches. 

So I reflected on that. It brought me back to a story here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls with our young people. It happened at a thanksgiving celebration about a year ago. It was at the thanksgiving celebration prior to having a meal together that we had a prayer service. And as a part of the prayer service we all sang the song as everyone stood up, “lean on me.” You might know that song. It’s a beautiful song and it’s got a great rhythm to it and we kept singing the song over and over and over again, “Lean on me.” 

And as I was looking ahead, there was one of our therapists, one of our best, and next to her was one of the young men here at the home. and he wasn’t caught in the joy of the singing. He suffers from depression. He suffers from antisocial behavior. And it broke my heart as I was watching everybody else singing and swaying back together, singing, “lean on me.” And he stood there like a rock.  

But this therapist, as I said, is very good and she saw what was going on. And so as we were singing she began to bump into him. And he’d look at her and she’d bump into him again. And absolutely no expression. And then she’d bump into him again as we were all singing. And finally it happened, joy, hope, a breakthrough. 

He listened to the music. Somehow it had captured him now. And the rhythm of the therapist bumping into him, getting him involved with the action taking place. And within moments he too was singing and swaying with the music, being a part of the crowd, being in the presence of hope, being in the presence of joy, being in the presence of acceptance and being welcomed in. That’s what Jesus did as he preached those beautiful beatitudes on the mountain. 

And that’s what we do here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. Reach out, embrace, include, and give hope to our children. And we can only do that because of good people like yourself, because of your prayer. 

Please continue to pray for this wonderful mission of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. 

Jesus is coming down the mountain. And so you know there’s going to be a teaching given to the crowd before him. And he preaches a version of the beatitudes as we know them. Powerful words of hope to those who are right before him. 

Think about who it was who was right before the lord as he was preaching. These were people who were hungering for good news. People who were hungering for hope. People who were disenfranchised and lived on the fringe of society. Desperate people looking for hope in the good news of Jesus that he preaches. 

So I reflected on that. It brought me back to a story here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls with our young people. It happened at a thanksgiving celebration about a year ago. It was at the thanksgiving celebration prior to having a meal together that we had a prayer service. And as a part of the prayer service we all sang the song as everyone stood up, “lean on me.” You might know that song. It’s a beautiful song and it’s got a great rhythm to it and we kept singing the song over and over and over again, “Lean on me.” 

And as I was looking ahead, there was one of our therapists, one of our best, and next to her was one of the young men here at the home. and he wasn’t caught in the joy of the singing. He suffers from depression. He suffers from antisocial behavior. And it broke my heart as I was watching everybody else singing and swaying back together, singing, “lean on me.” And he stood there like a rock.  

But this therapist, as I said, is very good and she saw what was going on. And so as we were singing she began to bump into him. And he’d look at her and she’d bump into him again. And absolutely no expression. And then she’d bump into him again as we were all singing. And finally it happened, joy, hope, a breakthrough. 

He listened to the music. Somehow it had captured him now. And the rhythm of the therapist bumping into him, getting him involved with the action taking place. And within moments he too was singing and swaying with the music, being a part of the crowd, being in the presence of hope, being in the presence of joy, being in the presence of acceptance and being welcomed in. That’s what Jesus did as he preached those beautiful beatitudes on the mountain. 

And that’s what we do here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. Reach out, embrace, include, and give hope to our children. And we can only do that because of good people like yourself, because of your prayer. 

Please continue to pray for this wonderful mission of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. 

Jesus is coming down the mountain. And so you know there’s going to be a teaching given to the crowd before him. And he preaches a version of the beatitudes as we know them. Powerful words of hope to those who are right before him. 

Think about who it was who was right before the lord as he was preaching. These were people who were hungering for good news. People who were hungering for hope. People who were disenfranchised and lived on the fringe of society. Desperate people looking for hope in the good news of Jesus that he preaches. 

So I reflected on that. It brought me back to a story here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls with our young people. It happened at a thanksgiving celebration about a year ago. It was at the thanksgiving celebration prior to having a meal together that we had a prayer service. And as a part of the prayer service we all sang the song as everyone stood up, “lean on me.” You might know that song. It’s a beautiful song and it’s got a great rhythm to it and we kept singing the song over and over and over again, “Lean on me.” 

And as I was looking ahead, there was one of our therapists, one of our best, and next to her was one of the young men here at the home. and he wasn’t caught in the joy of the singing. He suffers from depression. He suffers from antisocial behavior. And it broke my heart as I was watching everybody else singing and swaying back together, singing, “lean on me.” And he stood there like a rock.  

But this therapist, as I said, is very good and she saw what was going on. And so as we were singing she began to bump into him. And he’d look at her and she’d bump into him again. And absolutely no expression. And then she’d bump into him again as we were all singing. And finally it happened, joy, hope, a breakthrough. 

He listened to the music. Somehow it had captured him now. And the rhythm of the therapist bumping into him, getting him involved with the action taking place. And within moments he too was singing and swaying with the music, being a part of the crowd, being in the presence of hope, being in the presence of joy, being in the presence of acceptance and being welcomed in. That’s what Jesus did as he preached those beautiful beatitudes on the mountain. 

And that’s what we do here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. Reach out, embrace, include, and give hope to our children. And we can only do that because of good people like yourself, because of your prayer. 

Please continue to pray for this wonderful mission of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.