Judge Not!

Hey did you guys like totally check out like that girl out front today? OMG like total fashion like suicide! I mean did u see that bag! Stripes don’t go with polka dots that’s like a serious pra- DUH! Where does she think she is! THE STREETS!

Judgment - the ability to judge, make a decision, or form an opinion objectively as from circumstances presented to the mind. Hello my name is Lauryn Bodden and I attended this year’s mission trip to Toronto where god showed me a lot about judgment. Through our sites I was able to see that just because someone is different doesn’t mean we can set them aside from the rest and treat them differently. We don’t know where they’re from or what they have been through. The only thing we can maybe tell by the looks of their appearance is if they shop at Abercrombie and fitch or Walmart which in any case doesn’t even matter.

Walking into the Salvation Army Church where Youthworks was stationed I was greeted by this awkward, lanky stranger who decided to perform an Nsync dance that night as a way to introduce himself. To be honest Darcy kind of freaked me out a bit when I first met him, but as the week went on I was able to see him for who he really was which is a loving, crazy, and fun guy who loves to serve the Lord. At one point in the week my worksite group prepared dinner. Now looking at some of the people in my group such as Andrew Burger, Charles Silverfield, Michelle Potter, these strange Connecticut boys, and myself you might think this is a recipe for disaster. Well you would be right. There was spaghetti, garlic, and cucumbers covering every inch of the room including the ceiling. Not to mention we almost burned the building down. Darcy was in charge of our dinner crew that night and after looking at the damages we caused he looked us in the eye and said, “THAT…WAS THE MOST FUN I HAVE EVER HAD EVER! God was actually able to show me through Darcy that you shouldn’t be quick to judge someone because they are not like everyone else. In all that time your wasting on forming stupid opinions of them you could be getting to know a really cool person.

Darcy was just the beginning of my week in Toronto though. Our last day doing mission work my crew went Salvation Army to serve food. Rushing from table to table, carrying trays loaded with meals good enough to be served at any gourmet restaurant I never knew I could have so much fun in my life. The atmosphere was friendly and the people were wonderful. All this may be true, but when we were told to sit down and talk to them in our spare time I froze. It wasn’t where these people came from that scared me, but what would I say? What if there was awkward silence?

All day there had been this one man sitting in the same spot, alone. When I asked if he would like anything else to eat he simply said no and went back to sipping his coffee. Our time was about to end at our site and I kept having this feeling every time I looked at this man like god wanted me to step out of my comfort zone and talk to him. It was as if Robert heard what God was saying to me and knew his plan, opening his arms for me to come join him. Hearing his story was amazing. He was from Argentina, where he traveled to Italy, made his way to our hometown Tampa, and ended his journey in Toronto. He was an incredible artist and sold his paintings on the streets. He even played soccer when he was little which I can definitely relate to! No joke Robert probably could have written a novel on his whole journey through. In the end I realized that my offering of friendship to Robert meant more to him than the meals we were serving that day. Leaving Robert to go back was like losing one of my close friends. I have a feeling that God worked not through me that day, but through Robert. He helped me in more ways than I could have ever helped him. God made me realize that someone may come from somewhere else or have different customs, but they are still people; people with feelings and stories to share.

Robert also, gave me a piece of his art to remember him by.

A poem titled:

Friendship

It’s natural, it’s fun, it’s fair

It’s healthy, lively

With plenty to share

It’s sharing the good times

Along with the bad

It’s working together

And not getting mad

It’s helping each other

And showing you care

It’s lending a hand

When no one is there

SOOO did you guys like totally check out like that girl out front today? She is… probably one of the nicest people I know.

- Lauryn Bodden, Plant High School, Testimony from Youth Sunday August 5, 2007