Mrs. G, Whatcha Doin'?: ReFuel Weekend @ FBC

Every Sunday I walk into a room with a group of 11th grade girls who are welcoming, sweet, funny, accepting, and curious. They are outwardly very open but as with all teenagers there is this underlying cynicism of whether or not what I am saying is real, relevant, or applicable. I take a book written thousands of years ago, curriculum written for the masses, and find ways to make connections to those things for the girls that will make them want to live a life that will keep God in the LIME light.

My teaching partner, Stephanie
God was brilliant when He teamed
us up!

The call is one I struggle to answer every weekend not because of the girls, or the curriculum, or the content but because every Sunday I want to make a difference in their lives and put them in a place to receive God's word so that it is attainable truths as opposed to nebulous concepts. These connections are only made through relationships with these young ladies.

In an hour I am to deliver a lesson on God. It is impossible to even brush the surface of an infinite God in a very finite amount of time. In an hour I am to expose my life and break into theirs to show what God has done for me and what He can do for them.

This weekend I gained new perspective.

For a solid 42 hours I dedicate myself to these young ladies. With that time I was able to further my relationships with them and also the other teacher I work with. I now see that it is not expected for me to save them all and make sure they leave our classroom as a Christian woman but rather to plant the seed of Christ in their heart and push hard for them to feel a deep need for Him in their lives. I cannot change anyone...I can't even change myself being left to my own devices. That is God's job, and He does a magnificent job of it when I plant seeds and allow them to be watered with His word and Holy Spirit.

Could never have done that before WLS

I have been a youth group leader for three years. I was with a group of girls starting their junior year of high school and then continued with them through graduation. I cried at their graduation and longed to see their hands raised in praise during worship service the weeks they left for college. In some ways I felt a void in my spiritual life without them. I love those girls. I worried that I would get a new group of 11th grade girls and I would fail to make connections with them as I had with my previous group. When my now college girls would return home for breaks I would not see their faces first but the unique ways they all raise their hands in worship during service. My eyes would tear up and I would yearn for the time in service to grab hold of them for a hug, kiss on the cheek, and an opportunity to pray with them.

Since August I have had my new 11th grade girls. For the past 6 months we have grown to know each other at a very superficial surface level. Not yet able to ask the tough questions and delve very deep into God's word. The angst and frustration of preparing for lessons and making sure they were engaging enough to hold their attention, allowing time for social conversations, and a lesson that would be encouraging and non confrontational. I can sum up the last 6 months in one word...awkward. Them not really knowing me and me not really knowing them.

This weekend was a game changer. Worship, prayer, small group time, and team building activities took us from a mismatched group of ladies in all different places to a real Faith Family. It was all of the little moments that added together to create a unity that our group has been missing. During this one weekend I noticed the kinds of music they each enjoyed, the way they are most comfortable praying, how they prefer to worship, and the way to relate to them. They shared fears, strengths, praises, and prayers. The parts of their lives they would ordinarily keep secret during our usual small group time.

they are so cute all snuggly and asleep

From this weekend I am changed. I look forward to Sunday when I will be with my girls again to watch them grow in Christ. What a blessing it is to be allowed to be part of this ride. *Special thanks to my parental units for allowing us to take over their house for the entire weekend. Love you both! Also shout out to the hubby for holding down the fort while I was gone! And for the boys not making Dad too nuts. :)