God Is Working

Last Sunday I had the privilege of leading the first grade small group in DU. It wasn’t actually a small group; the kids filled two round tables (a topic for a future post.)

It had been more than a decade since I’d led a group of kids that age and I truly enjoyed being with them.

When it came time for kids to talk about how they could apply the virtue, I stayed at one of the tables so I could have a more in-depth conversation with the kids. The analogy of self-control being like the walls of a city was a bit challenging for them, but the kids began to grasp the idea that when they use kind words, their lives will go better and when they use mean words, they’ll bring problems on themselves. We talked about how showing gratitude is one way to use kind words.

We ended up with extra time, so I encouraged the kids to draw a picture of someone they could thank this week as a way to show self control with their words.

As the parents started picking up their children, one little girl came over to me and showed me her picture. This was a girl who had been disagreeable at the beginning of group time. As she held up her picture, she had a big smile on her face.

“That’s a great picture! Who’s it of?” I asked her.

“Jesus,” she replied.

“What are you going to thank Jesus for?”

“For letting me live.”

Then, she bowed her head in the middle of the room as parents were picking up their kids and prayed. “Thank you, Jesus, for letting me live.”

Wow! What a great morning! This little girl, who seemed contrary at first, was really listening and learning to appreciate Jesus. That’s what we’re after – helping kids (even those who don’t seem very engaged) understand that Jesus loves them and cares for them.

Rest assured that as you love kids and respond to them positively, even when they seem disengaged or contrary, God is working in their hearts, drawing them to Himself.