In this post, Matt Bennett shares his thoughts on his presentations at the Children's Behavioral Health Conference, organized by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, on May 12.
In Oklahoma, I spoke to youth, and one of the things that I am grateful for is that their hearts were ready to receive the message. The kids gave me their full respect and attention, and they asked great questions! They were in a more dire situation than I realized though—more than most audiences that I have spoken to. There seemed to be a real need for me to address addiction, in the sense of me personally struggling with it, and overcoming it. Although I come from a long line of addicts, addiction is not something that I can speak on personally as something that I struggled with.
Still, I told them about the long line of addicts in my family, and how I saw it destroy my family and community. Because of what it did to those I love, I decided to learn from other people’s mistakes, and not get involved with drugs. Also, I learned that Oklahoma has some very bright kids that just have some really bad influences. One young man broke my heart by telling me he’s addicted to every drug you can think of, that he came from a very healthy, loving family—but he just heard all of the rappers and celebrities talking about using drugs so he was set on trying to create a similar story for himself. A story of coming up from the streets, from the struggle, and overcoming obstacles and addictions. I assured him that I don’t wish the kind of life I have had to live on anyone. I told him that because he has been given so much, he needs to do more with the opportunities he’s been given. To whom much is given, much is indeed required.
The student audience was unique. I saw a boy with dirty clothes, a dirty hat, and who smelled like he needed to bathe. He looked to be 16-17, but was only in the 8th grade because he had been jailed for so long. He also said that he’s been getting bullied a lot at school, which was heartbreaking. This was not a school with behavior problems. Rather, it was a school full of kids who really needed to hear the message of hope that I had to share. I pray that they find healing.
In my adult session with social workers, I was blown away by how many people were interested in hearing my story. People sat on the floor just to hear my presentation. That alone was a great encouragement, and really set the tone for the session. The audience consisted of concerned adults trying to find out how they can improve, or come up with strategies to help reach the young people they serve. I really saw a genuine effort made by them to learn and grow. I really felt like they benefitted from my story. I am grateful that they gave me a chance to serve.