Sometimes kids amaze me. Just when you think they're not paying attention or they don't understand what you're trying to teach them, they say or do something that's more profound than what you've been saying all along. And it reminds me that I'm not the true teacher or the true changer of hearts: God is.
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| Marisol with Three of her Sisters |
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| Rodrigo, who is Special for Being a Good Brother to Marisol |
I had one of those moments a few days ago while I was doing some self-esteem activities with a family of 7 kids. We talked about truths that God says about us and lies that people sometimes tell us. Then we read the book You are Special by Max Lucado and finished by making bookmarks decorated with stickers explaining what makes us special. I explained that we are special because God created us, and he loves us. Some of us are special because we're really good at math, others because we're really funny, and others are special for still other reasons. About halfway through I noticed that Marisol was writing a lot on her bookmark. I started to smile as I thought back to the first time I met her--she was quiet, had scared eyes, and responded to most of my questions with an "I don't know" shoulder shrug. She couldn't tell me what she liked to do or what she wanted to be when she grew up, and it seemed like what she wanted most was to go unnoticed. I thought about how much I'd seen her grow in the past year... she always participated in the class now, was eager to volunteer to read, greeted me with a smile and hug every time I came to the house, and would enthusiastically tell others that she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up.
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| Marisol, God's Beloved Princess |
"Sarah, Sarah!" I was drawn out of my daydream by Marisol handing me her bookmark. "Sarah, I finished." she declared with a big smile. I read her bookmark aloud "God says I'm special because I am his princess. God loves me, and that's why I'm a princess and why I'm beautiful." Marisol never would have said that a year ago. And yet, it is so true. Marisol is pretty and kind and good at drawing, but the root of what makes her special is that she is God's and that He loves her. And I am so glad that she knows that and am so amazed by the ways that God is pursuing her and restoring her and making her into who He created her to be. Thanks be to God!
