Today I found myself at the center of a circle of thirteen children all eagerly staring into my eyes ready to hear my lessons and stories. I love looking into the eyes of my kids because when I look into their eyes I can see myself as a child. I accepted Christ at a very young age and sense the moment of my salvation at the ripe age of six years old I have loved all things Jesus and church. I can vividly remember myself at six years old so in love with Jesus and who he is that I would ask to sing Jesus loves me as a church special every week. I see myself eagerly listening to missionaries as they tell their stories of people in far off places that we need to pray for and raising my hand every week to ask that we remember to pray for those Muslims in west Africa. I see myself running around my house singing to myself
“I’m just a little girl with Jesus in my heart. My brothers and sisters are mean to me but I do not really care because… I’m just a little girl with Jesus in my heart.”
It is hard to believe that I am no longer the child in this story instead…I am the teacher. I’m the missionary telling the stories inviting the children to consider their lives and the lives of those around them.
This week in our devotions we have been going through first John and just yesterday we were posed with the question where do you see yourself in your Christian walk based on the passage from first John chapter two. As a small child who is just accepting salvation, as a young Christian strong in faith fighting the lies of the devil or as a mature Christian firm in who God is and who he has been from the beginning. When pondering this passage I realized I have been a Christian for twenty years. I should be the mature Christian because I have known Christ from the beginning. Yes I am still young and find myself in constant battle with Satan and his lies. Yet at my heart I am still just that little girl still wrapping my mind around Jesus and His great love for me. I still have to remind myself of the lyrics to that famous song:
“Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong they are weak but He is strong!”
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| Preparing Crafts Before the Children Arrive |
These little ones staring deep into my eyes are Christ’s little ones. He loves them so deeply and here I stand the teacher. It is now my task to share with them the height, the weight and the depth of God's love for them. So that they can in turn run around their house singing
“I am just a little one with Jesus in my heart, even when others reject me I can still sing because I have Jesus in my heart and He is the only one who can satisfy. For this task I am completely unqualified yet in my weakness Christ is made strong.” Please pray for our kids this week that we might be vessels of Gods love that will fill these small hearts to overflowing that they can walk away knowing that Jesus does indeed love them.
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| Elise Glenn |
