Thursday, December 1, 2011

Mixed Emotions - What Are You Passionate About?

Sometimes, I get a little frustrated. I think that part of it is because not every one's passion is for the same thing as mine. Many of us probably feel that way. We cannot understand why people are not as concerned as we are about whatever it is we are concerned about. Some of you feel strongly about finding veterans jobs. Others of you feel strongly about starving children in foreign countries, while still others make it their life's mission to save dogs from being put to sleep. Those are your passions.

Today, I am going to talk about my passion. I hate Satan vehemently. I know that drugs are from Satan. Therefore, I hate drugs vehemently. Even more than that, I hate that we have children who are addicted to them. I spent 23 years of my life abusing drugs and alcohol. I do not want children to have to do the same thing I did. Children deserve to have a childhood. Children should never have to go to prison. Children doing drugs breaks my heart. When you combine those two, drugs and children, you have arrived at what I am most passionate about. 

Due to my passion, I feel that others should be as passionate about the issues as I am. I think that it is our duty to protect our youth. Yet, I see people get more wound up about abused animals than abused children. I see people more upset about Skepticon coming to Springfield than I do about a 12 year old overdosing. Put up a political caption on Facebook and you will get 100 comments. You put up a picture of a 13 year old girl missing for a week and there might be 5 comments.

I just don' t get it? When did we begin to put more value and importance on our pets than our children? Why is a gathering of Atheists and Agnostics causing more of an uproar locally than a 14 year old that has been missing for the last 72 hours? Why is it that drugs are becoming less and less of a big deal. We have not really made a dent in the statistics of those who use illegal drugs. It has shifted from one drug to another being the most popular, but the rates are not improving much.

I have mixed emotions. Part of me knows that politics are a big deal. That is where funding should come from for the education of our youth. That is where money should be coming from when it comes to prevention strategies for substance abuse. But we keep cutting the funding to our programs for children, then wonder what is wrong with them. I guess that I don't have mixed emotions, I am feeling a righteous anger. Why are our children not of the utmost importance? What could be more important than our youth, who are the future of our world?

I had churches that I went to and asked if I could set up a table in their church lobby to let people know about the program that we are starting. Some of those churches said that they had too much going on to do that. I had other churches that approached me and asked what they could do to help. Some of the churches that said they did not have time in service or for us to set up in their lobby told us we could post on their Facebook walls. That would have been better than nothing. Of course, when we posted on their walls the posts were immediately taken down. Gee thanks............but no thanks!

In the next several weeks I am going to be starting  a 501(c)3, and my hope is that some of the churches in the area who are saying that they are helping the community will do just that. If they claim they want to make an impact on the community, we will have a great opportunity for them to help us do just that. I really hope that I do not feel as let down as I have by some of them. The other churches that have already offered help, we will be in touch and thank you so much for all that you do.

It seems like the smaller churches are more ready to help projects that do not promote their church. Some of the biggest churches acted like if it did not promote them, they were too busy. Don't get me wrong, we have had a couple of bigger churches that we are not members of offer us some great help. To those bigger churches that did not have the time, I hope that my first impressions of you are wrong. It is not about business or attendance, it is about making a difference in people's lives. I truly hope we can work together and help each other make an impact in the lives of our youth!!

3 comments:

  1. I couldn't agree more, David! It SO doesn't make sense. I do think some of the bigger churches, and "some" (since I can't italicize on FB) of the people who are in the higher income brackets, are too busy with how to make that money and impressing the most people they can. I believe they don't want to be bothered with the real issues of life that are dark, sad and that probably even touch their own family's. Maybe even too close to home and don't want to admit it or let it be known...that it may show some kind of failure on their part. Some of those people or organizations are just plain hardened to ground roots efforts to help people who are at risk...unless they can make news by showing they are helping somehow. Maybe that is how you can get their support. Record them making their donations on film (as scripture says they shouldn't - Matt 6:1-4) with the promise to, and do, show all of those that want to have it announced, on a news broadcast about your program again. At least it will please them, get more money for your project from them, and generate more exposure to the public about the project again on the news. Win-win-win??? Maybe I'm getting too materialistic? It is irritating me too!!!! Can't tell, can you?

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  2. I feel your pain. I hate drugs and they are responsible for so much damage. From child abuse to unemployment to domestic violence to murder to rape to theft to divorce to unemployment to poverty to mental health issues to unwanted babies to cruelty to animals to the spread of HIV and other STDs. Why can people not see that a lot of the issues they are passionate about are directly linked to drug and alcohol abuse. We need to break this cycle through better education and prevention efforts with our youth!

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