One of the great joys I have come to experience this year has been serving with the children's ministry at my church. I will be honest, at first I was a tad unsure. I have never really raised children. I often still act like a child. I'm not even sure if I have patience for kids. Plus, my love of communicating and teaching is best left on stage or in a adult classroom setting where I teach- and you listen :) Telling the kiddo to take her finger out of her nose and listen to my instructions on how to do the Bible verse activity was out of my realm. However, I realized that committing to this with my husband would allow me to experience something outside my comfort zone. I needed it. So, count me in. The only rule I had for myself was that no matter what, I was to stay authentic. Being authentic meant being me - sometimes mature, sometimes immature, sometimes childish, and sometimes even dramatic. I did not want to be seen as just another adult figure by these third grade girls, having to follow my instructions and respond to me with what they thought I wanted to hear. My experience thus far has exceeded my expectations. I look forward to my Sunday morning hugs and kisses from these young ladies who refer to me as, "Mrs. Mariya"
This past Sunday, Ginny walked into the room wearing a fabulous long sleeved top with a long colorful skirt. I told her she looked "Boho Chic." Her eyes brightened up, asking what that meant. I told her that boho chic refers to a style of fashion drawing on bohemian and hippy influence, mixed with modern chic. Ginny and the girls around the table absolutely loved that. I had an exceptionally special experience with my group on this day. Our topic was about being lights in the darkness, so the seven of us chose to take our lesson into the walk-in closet. We turned off the light, huddled around on the floor and the person holding the flashlight was permitted to speak. I am not sure if it was because of the small cozy setting away from the rest of the class that made the girls feel like they could be more open, but I suddenly saw these girls become raw with me. "How do we even know if our God is real?" "So, why do we think that we have the right to tell other people that their God is not real, but that our's is when we don't even know if our God is actually real?"
What honesty. What purity. How refreshing. I reassured them to not give guilt any room in their thoughts and questions. Rather, that it is was very natural and a sign of growth that they had doubts. It showed that their minds are becoming inquisitive and that their hearts are seeking truth. I loved that these young ladies were not going to accept being cookie cutter Christians merely born into a Christian home, brought to Church and dropped off at Sunday school and expected to believe a set of truths/beliefs because their parents and religious people said so. We continued talking in that small dark closet for a lil while. When we finally stepped out into the classroom, we didn't realize that we were in there for a long time. It was as if time stopped and we were frozen into a moment.
I left church that day encouraged by these young ladies. I left overflowing with joy thinking about how God will make Himself and His truth uniquely known to each of them. I also know that His relentless pursuit will be a more difficult battle with some of them. Yet, I'll choose to think about that oh so glorious season of life for them when Jesus becomes so real, so awesome.... so God Almighty. I sometimes wish I could bottle that season and how I felt.... not sure if words could even capture it. So totally euphoric.
I love revisiting that time and space. It helps me to take my spiritual cord, plug it back into my eternal source and be sparked into remembrance of how gloriously splendid He really is.
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