Did you pray for me??
Come sit with me.
Sing a song, please!!
I like your sandals, may I have them???
The list goes on & on & on. All this & more- questions, demands, pleading faces, sad , hurt , tired & hopeless,but yet rambunctious, & in desperate love of my Jesus!
Today I once more had the privilege to go to the Government Housing Projects for the Wednesday,afternoon Bible Class. When I first come I go to their houses & ask them to come & before long a few shy, but eager faces came peeking in at the school room doors, where we have our class. However it never takes long to over come the shyness & shortly after we begin to sing & the attendance has increased ,they are a bouncing up & down & it is now my challenge to try to maintain order:) Before long my lap is piled with children as they all strain to get a look at the Bible story book I have in my hand. They love these stories & seem to know them fairly well.
Sometimes it seems they must learn nothing & their minds stray far from the topics, yet I believe most important to them is the time I spent. Was I patient?? Even when their chatter was endless? Maybe today it doesn't matter so much if they knew every detail but instead that we had time to chat. Indeed importance of time fades away as I hold a little girl with an old, tattered shirt. We talk a long time about nothing, like why God made their hair different than mine, or I teach them some fun English words!! Yes, nothing - or wait, maybe it was something! It was God's blessing in mine & their day. So indeed it was something!!
So... did I pray for them, they are souls, precious souls, after all & they have an eternity. Will they come to Heaven with me??
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts! There is a song by Chris Rice, The Power of a Moment. I think for all of us it's a challenge to not so much focus on the outward progress we are making in our relationships with others, (especially those we are trying to reach for Christ), but focus on the moments God gives for us to speak, listen, hug, praise, or just smile. There is power in just those little moments of truth. I find it so true in my SS class, that if it's not going the way I planned, I can either try to "rescue it" (and end up quenching the kids enthusiasm) or treasure the moment of laughter, or answer the off topic but very important question. A line from that song says, "I get so distracted by my bigger schemes. Teach me the importance of the simple things. A word, a seed, a thorn, a nail and a cup of cold water." Let's all treasure the power of a moment! Praying for you all!
ReplyDeleteEmily A.
GREAT Post, Julia. Very good.
ReplyDeleteAnd amen to Emily's thoughts.