Believing Better Things

At Milestone’s night of praise this summer I heard something that has found a permanent place in my heart. One of the worship leaders had the kids come to the front while he explained how we should be believing better things for the kids in our lives. My first reaction…well yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t we?!?! My thoughts immediately went to Will and Allie. Of course I’m believing better things for them. Better education, better opportunities, better success, better faith. It seems only natural to want the best for those you love.

But since then that little phrase has turned into a first class thought grenade.

What does that mean? What does it look like? How do we do that? For whom?

So I’ve spent several weeks trying to define this in my head, trying to decide what my part is and whom for. (You probably got there faster than me, but eventually I made it too.) Each year there are 22 nine year olds who from August to June may spend more time with me than their families. Hello, welcome to my personal mission field.

It usually doesn’t take long before I know exactly what each kid is dealing with at school and the struggles they face at home. And for my kiddos that could be anything from having one or both parents in jail, not having electricity or enough food, or having too much adult responsibility at a young age. I say “He/She doesn’t stand a chance” several times every year. And sometimes it doesn’t seem like they possibly could, but I’ve realized that’s not believing better things for them. Who am I to say what their chances are? So, I’m giving it all to the only One who can.

My goal for this year is to believe better things for this group of kids, to pray truth over them, to be Jesus in skin to them for the seven hours a day they are with me. In the rush and stress of the day it’s easy to forget I have the opportunity to teach these kids more than math and reading. For seven hours a day I have a captive (well almost) audience waiting to see what I will do and say. I pray this year I believe better things for my students; that they will see something different in me that can only come from Jesus Christ.

He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
Mark 10:14