"Stepping Out"

Yesterday was AIDS Walk Detroit, I have to admit that I myself do not know and have never known any one personally who has been affected by this epidemic. I have encountered patients here in the US and Africa, at the VA and at Beaumont, but have not been affect directly. So I guess I walked yesterday for those I have come in contact with, for my friends who have family members who are living with the disease and for those struggling but have no one supporting them. It was beautiful to see how Detroit came out and supported the cause it was nice to see the heart of Genesis out and about also loving the community. I am grateful to have been moved to be a part of this, as I easily could have been seen as an outsider who has no connection to the cause. The event seems to be a time for reflection, mourning and celebration for those past, living and fighting the disease. I was particularly moved by the quilt ceremony, OK not the ceremony it self since I am too short to have seen the opening of the quilts, but when people were allowed in to see the quilts. There were prayers and poems, memories and pictures. I was able to get a sense of who these people were and how important they were to their families and friends. I was moved by the age range and the decades that the disease has spanned. If you go to the AIDS Walk Detroit website I think you can find out more about the quilts, but basically they were started when the first cases resulted in death the bodies were prohibited to be buried, so quilts the size of a cemetery plot were created in memory of the person now the quilt is huge and travels to different locations in segments.
I spent the time walking with a teenager who used to attend Genesis when we were at the Music theater. I felt this tremendous sadness for her and love at the same time but I did not know what to do for her other then have keep me company while we walked. I feel that she is having trouble at home and school, I realized that I have certain convictions in how a teenager should behave but do not have skills in conveying this properly. We talked about music and she talked about boys, school and her parents, while I occasionally tried to interject God into the conversation. But after the walk I left down town feeling guilty, thinking did I give her what she needed at the time did I do what God wanted me to do? I don't know, I do know that I found myself somewhat annoyed at times that teenagers are strange and wondering was I this weird. Okay I was weird I just don't think I was vocal about it. The only thing I can think of is that the only adults I was around were family and of course I could not say or do weird things around them. I propose that all teens are this strange, it's like the tree in the woods if it falls and no one is around does still produce sound? Well if a teen is around but does not say anything are they still strange?
I hope to see this girl again and see how she is doing. Please pray for her safety and God's will in her life.