Heart Breaking Stories of Teenagers Lives
Posted: Saturday, August 09, 2008
by Angie Downing
I was attending a Celebrate Recovery meeting being held at our church on Friday nights. I became more and more involved in these meetings and one day someone asked me to help her with the teen group. I tried to resist because I didn't know the first thing about running a youth group. To complicate things my own girls are teenagers and these were their friends. Most of them had spent many hours at my house swimming, eating dinner with us or just hanging out in the garage with my girls.
The first time they opened up and shared what was really going on in their lives, I thought I was never going to stop crying inside. We've all heard about the horror stories, from friends, the news, or we read about it somewhere, but until you actually have a child sit in front of you bearing his/her soul with endless tears falling, letting out his/her deepest darkest secrets, you don't realize how much the behavior of an adult impacts the life a child.
These teenagers who had spent countless hours at my home, always seemed like they had not a care in the world other then where they were going to hang out the next day, were sitting in- a room with me crying out for the world to hear them and hoping someone could understand their pain. The first story I heard is about four children who had lost their mom 5 years ago and are presently forced to live with relatives who really don't want to be bothered with any of them. The oldest was 12 when her mom died and is still struggling with her death; and the trouble she has found herself in most of her young life. She has just turned 18 and was recently released from juvenile hall for various issues. Her family told her she may not return home nor is she welcome to visit. She is struggling to pull her life together in order to save her siblings from the path gone down. The others are forced to sleep on the basement floor on bed rolls, even though there are enough empty rooms and beds in the house. They're not allowed to use the washer/dryer and are forced to scrub their clothes in the bath tub. Most of the time they're confined to the house, except when the adults go off on their Friday night ritual to gamble the money received from social security for the children's care. The only reason these kids could make it to church, was because of the Friday night ritual. Another teenager shared how he/she had lived on the street with their father from infancy until early teens and had only recently gone to live with his/her mom. They remember sleeping in parks, doorways, or a shelter if they got there in time for a bed, but most of the time they went hungry because the father had to have his beer. The father is an alcoholic continuously breaking the child's heart with empty promises. He/she has a hard time understanding the disease and lives with bitter anger towards his/her Dad and it is eating away at the soul. One particular teen was at our house almost every day, never letting on that they were homeless and sleeping in mom's car. Another homeless child we ended up taking in to our home, giving her a roof over her head, 3 square meals a day and most of all we were showing her love. Mom is a drug addict and is having a hard time cleaning up. Another child came to our house after mom beat her and screamed "get out and don't ever come back". We provided a safe harbor for the child until we could get the school, police, courts, and the social services involved to help her. This particular story doesn't have a happy ending. I cry just thinking about it.
There are so many stories that I could write about, but it would take me forever to write them and I think this gives you a glimps into the lives they live. I've heard about the horror stories regarding children from friends, the news, and I have even read about them, but, hearing them first hand in the child's own words, as they are crying due to the enormous pain they carry around deep in side with them, was almost more then I could handle. I even cried with them. Some stories being shared at group were so sad there was not a dry eye in the room.
After the first night of sharing I went home, climbed into bed, but sleep evaded me. The thought of kids sleeping in cars, on basement floors, or possible being beaten by a drunken parent had me crying all night and praying for the kids that seem to be forgotten by the world. I'm chocked up just writing this article, my compassion for these teenagers runs deep, my bucket of sorrow is over flowing with their stories, and my tears continue to fall for the teens out there in the world suffering because parents can't put their owns lives together, let alone help a teenager through one of the toughest times in their lives, teenage years!!!
Everyone can make a difference in the life of a child or teenager. Even if you don't know any children or teenagers experiencing this living hell, they are out there and they need your help. Please pray for my teens, I love each of those in my group and all are dear to my heart. I would also ask that you pray for all the teenagers, their lives seem so much more horrible and complicated than the one I grew up in.
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Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)Hi Angie, This was a wonderful article. You have really exposed the hidden plight of youth in America. Unfortunately, the attitude of many people is that children are to be seen but not heard. Thank yo for listening to them, and thank you for sharing their pain and sorrow. And thank you most of all for trying to be a part of the solution. God bless youHi Mark,Thank you for reading my article. To many turn a blind eye and do nothing to stop the abuses that are done against children. Then society wonders why we have gangs, and complain that the children of today have just gone wild. To many treat them as trash and throw them out with the garbage. As a mother of 4 girls, 2 of which are still in their teenage years, I just can't imagine throwing them to the wolves (world) without being there to guide and help them throw the toughest times in their lives. God bless you
Excellent article Angie,We both know of whom these teens are. The good news is that some are learning what it is like to be loved by adults/parents. We have been called to show them and I can see a difference in them all. You and I are blessed that we have been given an opportunity to share and show them love they desparately need. Keep up the articles!HI Michelle,Thank you for your comments. Yes, we are both well aware of the children I speak of in this article. It pains me everyday to know that there are children out there we don't know about, but you know they are hurting. By taking the time to help the ones we can by showing we love them, maybe we can change the course of their lives. God bless you
I thought this was a very good first article and I hope you keep on writing.Your topic is very important to me and deserves exposure. Teenagers are dealing with a lot more than I had to for sure.
hi angie,this was a heartwarming, well written, and interesting, though sad, article. i have been interested in teens with personal problems, for years, my fist child is 23, so i talked to her friends, then my next is 21, and i've talked to his friends, and i now talk to my 17 year old's friends.when you hear it out of the mouths of babes, it hits harder than written on a page. my own kids have their own stuff as well. thanks for sharing,and i hope you continue writing,best regards,sue thomYou truly sound like someone that has been there. Thank you so much, for taking the time to respond to my first ever article of this type.
I got to see your work and a very good article. As an ex youth monister, sub teacher I agree, everyone can make a difference for the good. Good job and like I said, keep writing. Best wishes, RobertHI Robert,Thank you for reading my article. I am sure as a youth minister you have seen your share of broken children in this world. What they need is to know that someone loves thems and that they are not just throw away kids. My heart breaks everytime I hear a story that is horrible and it's involved an innocent child.
I will keep writing and plan to post a new one this weekend. Thank you and God Bless you!
Hi Angie, thank you for sharing this heartwrenching story. But the great news is that God is watching and many of these kids will rise strong and serving the Lord, using their stories to encourage others. I am a child of divorce and had some wild times, but God protected me. And He is doing the same for these kids. I am so glad they have a place to go. I never did, or at least I didn't know a place existebe blessed and encouraged that these kids are coming to Christian fellowship and help. I stayed far away from anything remotely close to a church setting. Thank you for your faithfulness to serve despite your discomfort. It is exactly where God wanted you to be. Lord bless you!HI Teresa,I still have a hard time knowing that each of these children are in pain. I sometimes wish I had a house with a 100 bedrooms. I'd take every broken child in and love them back to health. Teach them of a savior who is always with them, and loves them more then I could ever love them.Thank you reading this, I hope that others will realize that some times when kids act up or get into trouble, there may be underlying causes that they know nothing about. It happens more often then not that a child is being mistreated by someone.God Bless you too.
This is really sad seeing kids and young ones going thorugh this.....why would a parents bring a bby in the world if he or she knows that they can not take care of them or have a good stable life for them...I no there are youg ones out there going through this right now as i speak...I just pray and hope to go they will be in a better home and a better place and start off fresh with their life...and for thoses who take them into their home and love them many wishes to you and in the future will be even better...muah thanks for all thoses who care for those chldrens who needs us to the most...By: SaOCaRrI3...
Hello. This article truly opened my eyes. It's horrific to learn of what children go through, hidden behind the public eye. I'm still in youth myself, and every small argument that I've had with my parents now seems microscopic compared to everything that I've just read. You truly are an amazing person, and I wish these teens luck, and hopefully for a better life. My small dramatic issues now seem meaningless, and I can't imagine what these children have to endure everyday. Thank you for sharing this article, I wish you all the best. Abi
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