A Breakthrough at S.A.Y. Yes!
"How can we get Marie to smile?"
Melanie, a S.A.Y. Yes! director in Bakersfield, California, had been wondering for weeks. (S.A.Y. Yes! is the biblically-based after-school curriculum Here’s Life has developed and made available to inner-city churches.)
Marie was only 6, but chaos had filled her short life. Her family — father, mother, and five kids — moved from place to place, evicted for not paying rent. Their extended family had given up on them, deceived too many times.
Marie became part of S.A.Y. Yes! last November. She was extremely non-communicative, often fearful, and she wouldn’t let anyone touch her.
Clearly some traumatic things had happened in this child’s life.
S.A.Y. Yes! staff prayed for Marie and sought to build trusting relationships. Gradually, Marie emerged from her shell. She learned the books of the Bible, and she memorized Scripture. But she still was withdrawn — and still allowed no touching. When the children go to the gym, the staff line up to give each child a hug. Marie would pass right on by.
But in February, Marie let one adult give her a hug on the way to gym. Soon it was two ... and then, writes Melanie, "Marie decided that she was going to let her guard down and give each leader a hug. I wanted to shout for joy as I watched our prayers being answered…Her walls of defense and safety were crumbling."
Later that day, Marie raised her hand and asked if she could pray! Melanie said how proud she was of her. Then Jordan, a 7-year-old, said, "I’m proud of her too! Can I give her two of my S.A.Y. Yes! dollars?" (This is "money" children earn and use to buy special treats for themselves.) Melanie reports, "Within moments, this precious little girl felt like a princess. All of the children started giving her their money. Some of them gave all that they had."
There is a little girl in Bakersfield who is finally smiling.
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Here's Life Inner City Bakersfield