As most of you know I work at a group home for teenagers with mental illness. I just celebrated my 5 year anniversary with the agency. I love the work I do. It can be a tough job, but most days I enjoy what I do. The past couple of weeks have been tough. We have faced some things that are pretty tough stuff. I find myself emotionally run down. I feel let down by a system that can let things like this happen. I feel angry at authority figures that hurt people under them. I hate red tape and politics...they stand in the way of helping more people. I know I can't save everyone, but I want to help as many as I can. Sometimes the reality that so many of these kids face is out of the scope of my comprehension. I sat yesterday in a meeting weeping on the inside for a teen that needed to be told that being beat up your whole life by your father is not normal and she deserves to live in a safe place. We did all that we could in that moment, but need time to cut through red tape. It broke my heart to send her back to that place, even if for just one more night. I thought of her many times last night. I pray that God would keep her safe. May this girl someday learn that she has value and that no one deserves to get hit!
This job can be very rewarding, but also very draining. I have a vacation coming up and am sure I need it. It's time to refill the tank that is beginning to run low.
