Tired, but Blessed...

This summer, I am doing a children's ministry internship for the third and final time. I've been at two great churches in summers past, and this summer I have the privilege to work with the Highland Church in Abilene, Texas. This internship is particularly special to me because it is with the church I have been a part of since the beginning of my time at ACU and many of the believers here have played a huge part in shaping me into who I am. At Highland, I feel like being a Christian is truly something more than punching a card twice a week. It's about love, devotion, faith, and service.

Most of the time I love children's ministry. The first Wednesday night of the summer, however, our sweet children more closely resemble tiny little scheming initiators of chaos than the well- behaved bible verse-recitin' angels they truly are....rrright. On these particular Wednesday nights, I find myself wondering what it is that possesses me to do what I do. Ok, so I've only actually lived through a couple of these first summer Wednesdays, but I'm not looking forward to the next one. In fact, I think I'll just go ahead and become a teacher, because I won't have to worry about Wednesday nights at all. Better yet, I'll become a children's minister, but hire an intern as soon as I get the job. ;-) And so the cycle continues...

Anyway, tonight was hard and stressful, but I lived through it. Today was a loooong day and the night didn't help it any. One positive thing, though, is that I've got one under my belt now and I can sit down and tweak the system before next week. Oh yes, what I'm doing on Wednesday nights is coordinating the entire elementary school class- Kindergarten through fifth grade pooled together in the gym with about 80 of their closest friends. Excitement? Always. If you help out in children's classes at church and ever doubt that you are appreciated, take it from me. You are appreciated more than you will ever know. The people that were helping me out tonight I will never forget. They've earned multiple extra jewels in their crowns for agreeing to teach during the summer!


Another cool thing about Highland is their neighborhood ministry. Highland is situated in an area that has many people living at or below poverty level. Over the past few years, ACU students have been walking the neighborhood and getting to know the people who live there, visiting, ministering, and praying with our neighbors. As a result of this, many neighborhood families have begun coming to church. One of these families that has been coming to Highland for the last few years is a family of four boys, ages 4-13. They live with their mother, but she rarely comes with them.

Throughout the past couple of months I have been going up to church early on Wednesdays and hanging out with the boys, trying to keep them out of trouble and attempting to be some kind of a good influence on them. I've developed a pretty good relationship with them and since the first day I met them they have been a blessing in my life. I often took what I had for granted- my parents, my clothes, my car, my entire life. I don't anymore. Or rather, I don't as much. The boys have a lot of problems and are regularly outright defiant and rude at church. They always test my patience, yet the more I've learned about them, the more I am able to see that they are truly doing the best they can. I only hope that my time with the boys has shown them that they are worth something and that they are loved and that they can be anything they want to be. They don't have to surrender to all of the forces they have against them.

These boys truly are fighting to survive. Their mother doesn't want them and so they are about to go to California to visit their father who recently got out of jail. They're telling me it's just for the summer, but I know from the mother of another one of my neighborhood boys that their mother isn't planning to let them come back. She doesn't want them anymore and told them that last night, although I'm sure they've known it for quite some time. I can't imagine a situation where the only two choices are to live with my ex-convict father or live with my mother and whatever man is there at the time. I don't know which is better.

I now understand what it means that God is a father to the fatherless. I've seen Him work in the lives of these boys, even though they're still much rougher than most of our "church kids." The fact that they're still alive is amazing. The fact that they are drawn to Highland every Sunday and Wednesday is a testimony to me that no matter what happens in our world, God is in control. And not only is he in control, but he even cares what happens to these four little boys. I know that God will always be with them wherever they are, but I pray now especially for their protection and for them to know and understand that God is real and he is good, even when things are hard. I also pray that whatever happens to them, they will be surrounded by a body of Christ who will love them regardless of their hygiene or behavior. Your prayers for these boys would be appreciated, as well.

Times like these are some of the hardest, but they also remind me that there is a reason for what I have been called to do.