Our Future

Last night, was such a treat to see the kids having so much fun at Awanas playing "water" games. I love watching them get excited and just have a good time. They deserve it! Those children have worked so hard and have just done a terrific job. I could not be more proud of them. This is only our second year of helping with Awanas and I can honestly say we still love it. Oh sure it has its moments like anything really but it is truly a joy to work with such an awesome group of kids. What a blessing it is to help children grow in the faith. Although, majority of the time I think they are actually helping my faith to grow. It makes me ponder on a passage of scripture found in Luke 18:16-17, "But Jesus called the children to him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it..."

Sam and I get asked a lot why we do what we do. The most frequent question seems to be "Why do you both help out with so many children's activities or events? You don't have children of your own, enjoy this time!" I know most people when they say this are only joking so I just laugh it off. However, I really want to say, "I am enjoying this time!" I love helping children! Sam loves helping children! Believe me when I say that we are enjoying this time by helping children. We may not have children of our own now and we may never have any, but we enjoy this time with the children that God has placed in our lives. Sam and I understand that, no matter if these kids are ours or not, they are our future. These children will be our future doctors, nurses, teachers, fire fighters, police officers, and might even be our next president. They will also be (I pray) our future Sunday school leaders, elders, greeters, preachers, and missionaries.

Sam and I know God has placed us in the children's ministry for a purpose and we try to view it as our mission field. Some days are harder then others but each moment we are given with a child is an opportunity. It is an opportunity to be an listening ear, a gentle hug, a word of wisdom, or even a seed planter. They may not be our children but that does not mean we do not enjoy each and every one of them. Every single child is unique and special. They each have their own way of memorizing scripture, drawing a certain Bible character, or even playing a strategic game. It is fascinating to watch their little faces as they start to understand what their reading about or catch that smile after they know they have finished a book and can move on. We both agree that helping with children is a calling and that it takes a lot of hard work and effort but we enjoy every moment of it. That is why we do what do. We are preparing for our future.

Blessings,

Lea