Faces That Light Up

“Tough day?,” I asked Jaden as he sat down and crossed his arms.  

I was seated in the outer office at Hamilton Elementary, waiting for a volunteer mentor to arrive.* Jaden got in trouble for fighting at recess and was waiting to see the principal. 

“They were picking on my friend so I had to stick up for him,” he told me.  

Jaden was matter-of-fact. He seemed unfazed by the fact he’d been sent to the office. His heart rate was up and his breathing was just beginning to slow down, but he was remarkably nonchalant. I clued in to Jaden's laid back demeanor and decided to play it cool. 

“Hey, do you know what’s for lunch today? I’m hungry.”  

The mention of cafeteria food sent the conversation down a safe path. I joyfully walked that path with Jaden, practicing the connecting strategies we’re learning at The Bridge. Soon Jaden was telling me his life story. He wanted to talk. He wanted to be heard. 

“I just moved back from Texas. When I was five, my mom moved us there after my dad got arrested. I remember when the police busted down the door, calling my Dad’s name. He and I have the same name.”  

“Wow, that sounds intense. But you and your mom moved back to Topeka?”  

“No, just me. Dad has stayed out of jail for over a year now, so Mom thought I should live with him for a while.”  

The next day, when The Bridge received a new volunteer application, I thought of Jaden.   

Now, three months later, Jaden meets weekly with his lunch buddy, John. John is a retired teacher. He’s a great listener.  

Jaden loves meeting with John. His face lights up when he talks about him: “I really like him! He plays games with me. We like to talk,” Jaden says.  

And that’s the magic of Lunch Buddies, faces that light up. God created us for community, for connecting with people whose faces light up when they see us. And Lunch Buddies helps make that happen.  

*Names and locations have been changed to protect privacy.