I'm teaching two groups this Summer: a girls bible study on Sunday nights and a co-ed class on Sunday mornings.
During the first week of June, when I found out I would be leading a seventh through tenth grade girls' bible study, I didn't realize just how much fun it would be. I thought God had revealed my heart for women's ministry to me in the past year, but in the past two months He's shown me even more than I ever could've dreamed.
To see their hunger for their Savior. To enjoy their sweet presence. To experience first-hand their growth. To love. To serve. To laugh [until our sides ache, might I add].
For such a time as this.
Like Esther, I've been blessed so that I can bless others. I've been put in a position to serve these girls. I prepared to prayerfully serve them in teaching them about God's Word-to be bold in faith-so that they might grow in their knowledge of Jesus Christ, and in that their love for Him and for His people would abound (Philippians 1:9-11).
I was ready to give all of myself to them this Summer, but perhaps they've given me more than I them.
They've given me joy. They've given me daily hugs. They've given me sweet and gentle spirits. They've given me open hearts that yearn to know more of Jesus.
I was ready to be used, ready to be a vessel, and ready to love, but God surprised me with joy and used them to love me.
Just when I thought I knew what it was to love, God showed me more. He always shows us more, for who can possibly grasp how high and how wide and how deep and how far the Father's love goes?
My beautifully broken self is overwhelmed by His love, but it is well with my soul.
The other class I'm serving through teaching is a fifth and sixth grade boys and girls class, and though it's rather different than working with middle schoolers or high schoolers, I've loved it just as much. They always surprise me with how much they understand regarding the more serious theology, but at the same time they have a child-like spirit that delights in the fun ways of God, often portrayed in classrooms as what is called 'active learning'. Basically, this is the part of the lesson that is interactive, whether it be an activity, a game, or a participation in a visualization aspect.
This past Sunday was over the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18), and after discussing our call to 'go and make disciples', we made the point that not everyone is called to move to China for the remainder of their lives, though this is in the cards for some. We pinpointed that we are all able to pray, however, regardless of age, gender, location, or any other factor, and we decided that the Bible calls all of us to participate in sharing the love of God with the nations with the goal of being vessels for God so that more people become followers of Him. I'd drawn a huge outline of the world with the continents labeled for the active learning portion, having given the instructions to pray for the world and to go and write a prayer over the countries whenever each child felt ready or called to do so. I was excited for this prayer time, but the words I read truly blew my mind and made my soul soar.
One child's prayer in particular spoke to my heart:
God, use us to reach the people who do not know you.
Let them know that you love them.
Let them know that you welcome them with praise.
It's a simple prayer, but it's an honest one, and maybe the words don't boggle your brain, but the last sentence gave me a new perspective on the concept of God's love: He welcomes us with praise.
Matt Redman has a song called 'We Are Here For You', and lately I've been listening to it on repeat [I tend to do that with songs I really like-play 'em over and over again until another discovery pops up that I love]. The bridge says, 'We welcome you with praise, we welcome you with praise, Almighty God of love, we welcome in this place'. I've always loved this part of the song, and in fact I don't think I've ever listened to it without giving into the overwhelming desire to spread my arms wide to welcome the Holy Spirit into that moment, but I've never turned the words around to think about what they mean. When introverted, the sentence becomes 'He welcomes us with praise', and though He is the only One who is deserving of praise, He truly does do the extraordinary: God welcomes us with praise.
We, who are beautifully broken people, are welcomed with praise. We, who are sinful and messy and chaotic, are loved. We, who are malicious and jealous and hateful and lustful, are freely given grace. God welcomes us with praise, with no obligations, requirements, or legalistic acts. Only one thing is for us to do, and that is we are called to respond to His love. We are called to accept His grace. We are called to just receive it, and in doing that, He transforms us from the inside out.
God, the Only One worthy of worship, welcomes us with praise.
This Summer has reinforced the truth that we are made for God. We are created in His likeness to love and be loved. We are on this Earth for Him and Him alone. For what other way of living could possibly be as fulfilling? Who else could we possibly put our identity in and actually find it to be right? What other puzzle could we possibly be a piece of? What else could awake our souls and stir our hearts like God's beauty? Our Father is overwhelmingly extraordinary. Everything and everyone else pales in comparison.
