making sense of things.

Tonight, we had our second to last pancake bible study of the summer. i set up weekly Bible studies on Thursday nights at the blass' throughout the summer-because I knew if I didn't, I would let the summer slip by without setting aside time for the important stuff. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about fun and games, but I realize that sharing Jesus with these girls is a MUST and the main reason I'm here. Sure, I want to show them Jesus with my actions-by being with them, loving them, helping them, and walking with them, but I didn't want the summer to fly by without actually talking with them about the Lord. My goal for this time (other than improving on my pancake making skills!) was encouraging one another, learning pieces of God's word, and praying together. SIMPLE. but oh so good. I decided to teach each week out of the book "wired for worship," a book that I really enjoyed when I was in middle school. Each week, I prepared a short talk, about fifteen minutes, and then we took time to pray with one another. Some weeks, I felt that we accomplished nothing of eternal value, while other weeks, I started to believe we were finally getting somewhere. Tonight was one of the most encouraging nights of the whole summer for me. The wheels started turning; the pieces started fitting; they got it. Tonight the girls were quick to answer my questions, begging to share, and spitting out the God's truth..."oh! so THAT'S what you meant the first week when you said if we are rooted in Jesus, our lives will reflect His charter. oh, now I get it, anything I do can be an act of worship to God! So what your saying is that, I was made to worship God, but I worship other things instead...that's why I'm never satisfied!" yes. yes. yes!!

I'll admit, Thursday comes each week, and without fail, I am scrambling to get the lesson together. This week especially. It reminds me of a passage I read in 1 Corinthians last week. Paul is writing to the Corinthian church about Christ's power working through His weakness: "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power...And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

I don't have the fancy words, the perfect illustrations.
i struggle to be bold with these girls.
i feel inadequate. I see my shortcomings.
I have come here in weakness.
but the cross is powerful and His word is living.
God is at work in these girl's lives.
and it's exciting to see.