Love is for everyone

As most of you know I work at Cathedral Home for Children, which is like a detention center slash rehabilitation center for kids.  I have been working there since September and have experienced a lot in that short time.  My second week there I almost had my car stolen, resulting in $700 of damage.  I learned to not trust these kids and always lock your keys up when you get to work.  This week though I learned something that I think has changed my whole perspective of my job.  Okay, so maybe learned isn't a good word, more like I realized something that I knew.

Today I realized that everyone needs love, whether it is the kid that has abusive parents or the kid who has a loving family, both need to be loved.  Part of my job is helping these kids in their treatment but today I realized that the most important role I have isn't helping them in their treatment but just loving them.  Not because these kids did anything that deserve my love more than others but because Jesus loves everyone and that is what he calls everyone to do...

"The first and greatest commandment is 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Mt 22:37-40

I work with four high school age boys, believe me I get irritated and there is one that does an amazing job of working my nerves but I still need to love him and in fact I probably need to love on him more because he is the one that calls attention and seems to need it more.  Isn't it funny how the hardest thing to do is the only thing that needs to be done?

Don't get me wrong, I have been a loving person all my life, as I am sure everyone I know has witnessed but today it meant something to me.  I realized why it was important to love.  It just seems giving my love to friends is something they expect because well, you love your friends.  These kids though, they are in treatment, I think often times, because they weren't loved enough; at least they didn't feel like they were, so they don't expect it but it doesn't mean they don't deserve it.  I hope, that no matter how these kids end up in life, that they know, I love them.