I woke up Monday morning feeling as if I hadn’t slept in weeks. I honestly wanted to climb back into bed and sleep the day away, but I knew that wasn’t an option. We were going to visit a high school; which is my favorite thing to do on our trip thus far. Not to mention I am only given so much time here so it is essential I give my all in order to make the most of it. After a short pep talk with myself and a quick prayer, I was up and ready to take on the day.
When we arrived at the school we sang a few worship songs before some members from our team read about the negative effects of using drugs, alcohol, and having pre-marital sex. The kids were then asked to organize themselves in to groups (no more than 15 people to a group). They ran around scrambling to find their friends so they could form their circles. The AIM members then dispersed among the groups to talk more about the topics mentioned above.
My attitude still hadn’t improved from that morning and the kids were anxious to receive the one thing I lacked; enthusiasm. After struggling to start various conversations, I quickly realized I was totally blowing it. As a last ditch effort I decided to turn the conversation back to them but that didn’t work either. It didn’t take long for the kids in my group to notice the energy and laugher coming from other AIM leaders so I encouraged them to relocate.
At that point, I made a B-line right to the 200 degree van where I planned to hide out in the back seat. That’s where quitters go right? I was stopped by a young student who asked me something that changed everything.
“When is the Messiah coming?”
I was dumbfounded and in that moment, time stood still. How do I answer a question like that? After a moment, I told her no one has the answer to that question but that gives us an even better reason to start preparing.
What happened next is hard to explain. In an instant, I knew everything I wanted to say and it poured out of me. In that moment I had all the energy and enthusiasm they needed. To have received all that in a moment, I knew it was God. That one girl than turned into five girls and within a few minutes I had all 15 kids back. This time, instead of being bored, they were glued. With what time was left, I was able to encourage them to be confident about their faith and understand how precious they are to a loving God. I could have talked to those girls for hours and they would have listened. God used me as a vessel. He looked at my sulky, unwilling heart, and offered me a willing heart full of compassion.
