Go Beyond

I often tell kids at Kingsland that you don’t have to be an adult to make a difference in the world. You just have to care and then do something to help others. And that is exactly what so many of our kids have learned to do. We take seriously the part of our purpose statement that says we are committed to equipping the next generation one home at a time. We want to raise a generation of kids who love God and love people — who understand the importance of not merely looking out for their own personal interests, but for the interests of others as well.

On the night before he was assassinated, Martin Luther King, Jr. preached a sermon in which he challenged his audience to “develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness” — like that demonstrated by the Good Samaritan. King said, “The Levite asked, ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But the Good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’ That’s the question before you tonight.” And that’s the kind of question that we want to teach our kids to ask. We want for them to develop a dangerous unselfishness.

Earlier this week a group of Kingsland kids met at the church to assemble hygiene bags to distribute at the monthly medical clinic for the homeless that we host at Kingsland. I loved the energy in the room. I had the privilege of sharing why we are helping the homeless, how many homeless people live in our area, and the importance of demonstrating God’s love to them in a practical way. And then the kids put together the kits that will be such a blessing to the homeless in Katy. I especially liked that they each wrote personal notes of encouragement to include in the hygiene kits.

This morning, I met with a few of the kids to hand the hygiene kits off to Houston Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team and the medical staff at the mobile clinic. Our group also provided breakfast goodies for the homeless. I really appreciate my friend Officer Giraldo and his team for taking time to talk to our kids about what they do and to personally thank them for their kindness. We made some good memories this morning that I pray will continue to inspire our kids to continue to go beyond by caring for others.