Does It Make A Difference?

I like to think that I'm in the business of helping people. But can one person really help another?

Every day I pour myself into hurting teenagers. I do my best to offer what ever help I can. My clients struggle with problems ranging from anger management to severe depression; sometimes both at the same time. My job is to get them through their crisis so that they are stable enough to carry on with long term therapy. Normally this does not take more than the 90 days that the state gives us to work with them. But sometimes it takes much longer.

I got a call from a client that I worked with for over a year for one stretch, then on and off for another two years, tonight and she is struggling with the same things that we worked on for our three years working together. She has been arrested three times and is thinking about dropping out of school. Apparently we built up enough of a relationship during our time together that she is willing to call and talk to me even though she is no longer my client. (she called the answering services and asked to talk to me; she does not have my number) But a lot of good it's doing!

I suppose that it goes back to my last post. The whole "you can lead a horse to water" parable. I guess that I'm just frustrated that I spend my time pouring myself into my clients and I rarely see any progress. And more often than not when I do hear about their progress, it's to hear that they are still tripping over the same stumbling blocks.

Maybe I should view my job the same way I view my call from Christ. I'm called to love people, no matter what. That way I can unconditionally offer help with out that being tied to a motivation to see any change.