So Glad I Came

Started last Tuesday teaching a group of summer school kiddos for the month of June. They are so way cute! I have 6th grade...so picture in your mind the boys trying to figure out where the line is between boy and man and how far they want to cross it right now...the little smartalleck comments and yet the wanting still to make you happy, such a battle. The girls they just want to do everything you ask, and yet want to be cute in front of those boys who are trying to be so cool. I catch myself often just trying to hide the giggle inside from erupting on my face. Needless to say I enjoy my time with them and the moments God has given me to invest there. They are delightful and each child has his/her own story of where they've come from, what they've seen, and it makes this little person, one more contribution of a soul who has something to add to this world. That's one of my favorite parts of working with kids is watching them grow into these little adult people and praying your heart out to have some effect on which type of contribution they choose to offer the world. Praying they'll see something in you that imitates Christ whether they realize it or not, so that they might choose to walk in those shoes also in some ways. Now that's the true joy of teaching.

Yesterday I got the opportunity as the theme for our room this year is "A Whole New World" and so we're discussing different places in the world and reading The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis, where the children step through the wardrobe in the Professors old house and step into Narnia (a magical world engaged in a battle for good and evil). Anyway, yesterday was the beginning of studying Honduras and how children live there and what is the same and what is different from how we live here. I showed them pictures and we talked a little bit about their houses and what they eat and schooling and so on, and this sweet little guy who hasn't said much up to this point said, "I am so glad I came to summer school today." I said "well good buddy, you wanna tell me more about why you are glad?" He said "well I'm just glad I could see the way those kids love so I could be thankful for what I have." Spoken from a kid who doesn't have much materially by our terms here. He got it though whether he realized it or not. Then at the end of the day when we were going through our list of things to do over the weekend to complete and bring back for Monday, the same little boy said, "and pray for those Honduran children." He touched me. Hopefully the reverse could also be true. Lord may you continue to touch those precious little hearts with your truth, your vision, your heart.

Made me think about how many times I have had to speak those same words, "Lord I am so glad I came today, so I could learn to be more ________" Perhaps often the blank doesn't even need to be filled in. Lord I thank you that my stubborn, selfish, prideful, lazy, hesitant heart chose to run to you today and that you allowed me to come so that I could be MORE! Far more than I could ever be on my own. Oh Lord thank you for this classroom of life, may we always seek to be learning to be more!

And by the way, keep praying for those Honduran children, and the American ones too!! :)