The greatest comeback in two:fifty-two recreation time history!
Two teams of six. Relay race. Obstacle course. Carrying footballs. Red-light, green-light. All in one epic match of concentration, obedience, speed, and teamwork. Each team with a victory, the tie-breaker was underway. The race was on, pretty evenly matched until the last leg. Kids cheering, competitors running on "Green-light!" and stopping on "Red-light!" The anchor leg was a huge mismatch. Chassidy, tiny second-grade girl and Keyshawn, tall and speedy third-grade boy are handed footballs at the same time. As long as Keyshawn doesn't move when I yell "red light", the win was in the bag. However, that's when it happened. When all hope of victory was lost for Chassidy's team, Keyshawn dropped the football. Time went in slow-motion as a shorter and much slower Chassidy crosses the finish a split-second ahead of Keyshawn! Wow! And Sportscenter Top 10 will have had no idea it took place.
The first week of the after-school program is complete....and I am tired. The program is called two:fifty-two based on Luke 2:52 which says, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." This verse indicates our goal of seeing these 2nd-4th graders grow up mentally, physically, and spiritually. There are ten total kids, (5 boys and 5 girls) and all very unique. 2nd graders include girls Challah (shuh-LAH), Rayshantia (ray-SHAHN-tee-uh), and Chassidy. 3rd graders are boys Alex, Keyshawn, Jeffery, and one girl Charity. 4th graders are boys Diallo (dee-AH-low, not to be confused with Diablo), Emery, and girl Jovonta (juh-VAHN-tay). The thought behind expanding the accepted grade levels was to include more siblings and God has blessed the program with three pairs of siblings (Jeffery and Keyshawn, Challah and Diallo, and Chassidy and Charity). These might just be names and facts to you and you probably don't need to know these things. But for the next nine months, these kids and their families are going to be such big parts of my every day life. Observing child behavior is one of the most confusing activities one could do. The mood-swings. Two kids will be fighting one minute, then the next they'll be best friends. We'll play a card game and a kid will win, declare, "I love this game!" then lose the next, mutter, "This game is stupid/boring." One day, a kid will be disruptive during silent reading time; the next day, that same kid will be reading silently. Come on! How am I supposed to understand these inconsistant behaviors?
If you've worked with kids for a long time, you might find my inexperience amusing. I've realized that I'm terrible with discipline, my loud voice is quiet, my strict tone is mild. I was reading Ecclesiastes 8 and verse 11 has been a helpful reminder when dealing with kids. "When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong." Kids are not criminals, but they do try to push the limits of rules to see which ones are actually important. I need to be firm. Rules are important. It seems backwards to show that I care about them as human beings by disciplining them when they break rules. Why can't I just let them do what they want and just sit tight until they come to me with a problem or realization that they need some direction and correction? Why can't I just let them figure out what's best on their own? Well, because I love these kids and know they need help, help that I am able to give, help that I am willing to give, help that I need to give, even if it's in the form of discipline. The word "discipline" comes from the latin word discipulus, which meaning "branch of instruction or education", sometimes associated with teaching, knowledge, punishment, learning, etc. The word "disciple" has the same Latin root.
I am no Jesus, but I desire to follow his example (although I fail miserably). Jesus is described as a high priest in Hebrews 4:15, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin." He knows my weakness, He sympathizes, He knows how hard life is, He has been tempted in every way. That's a lot of ways. I hope to reflect the light that shines from Christ. I pray that God is revealed to these kids in a very powerful way. If He wants to use us, our words, our actions, and our loving discipline to reveal Himself, awesome! If not, who am I to question the ways of the Lord?
I don't have much else to say, yet could type for hours about the kids, the program, this past week. Florida is hot. At one point last night there was tons of lightning but no rain (weird) then downpours in a matter of seconds (weirder). My accent is slowly changing and my grammar ain't what it was.
Please pray:
-for a permanent solution to a van. Praise God we were able to rent a van this past week. Just looking to buy something for the long-term.
-for us as leaders to display a consistancy in how we deal with kids and to exemplify Christ through discipline, love, and grace.
-that this ministry is grounded with an attitude of prayer and submission to following God's will.
I am hoping to introduce you to the kids in the next 10 weeks and let you know how we can be praying for them. Tootles.
A beautiful song to listen to while outside looking at the night sky. Be blessed by it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl_3WHW1Tco
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