All of us working at Jaywalker Lodge are given a unique gift every day; the opportunity to give the gift of life and hope to the clients in our community of recovery. We work in an environment of brokenness, where lives and hearts are in chaos. What do each of us do with that everyday opportunity? I must confess that there are days when the last thing I feel like doing is caring for someone else. Maybe I am the only one in that boat, but my guess is I’m not alone.
The crazy thing about those days, the days I am so self-centered, tend to be the days when God places right in my face the greatest opportunity to encourage and bring hope into the life of a client or co-worker . This concept of giving life and hope to others is pre-eminent in my mind today because, as a community we are saying farewell to our own Yoga Steve.
Steve showed up on our doorstep and was promptly thrown into lengthy journey to the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. It was probably the closest “Lord of the Flies” experience that I have had in my life. Somehow he survived physically and emotionally, although I think I am still a bit haunted by visions of Camp Red Bull and 15 foot tall flames from the gigantic fire pit. The only thing missing was someone pulling a still beating heart from a buffalo; at least I don’t think that happened.
Okay, back on point, Steve arrived as a person who had been a pretty good taker for years, but then Jaywalker got in his way and his life has never been the same. People were placed in his path at the Lodge who helped transform his life. He has taken the gift of life and hope and passed that on to countless others who have crossed paths with him. That is what we do here, we give life to those who desperately need the hope that they matter in this world. Regardless of where you work in this organization you have the opportunity to change lives.
Thank you Steve for all that you have given to us, may your future continue to provide you the opportunity to give life and hope to others on a daily basis.
Lynn Sanson
Expedition Director
Jaywalker Lodge
