We all long for places to be known, to have people say our name with delight when we walk in the door, and to feel…home. Now there are a few places in my life where i feel like I'm home, but today I will share about one of them. My church home, specifically, our children & family ministry. Often people ask me why I love what I do, don't I get tired of it? Here's my response to some of that:
Each week I walk down the hall toward the kid’s area on Sundays I hear the voices and excitement rise. You can feel it way before you ever get to the door. You can feel it in the parking lot if you follow a family in. It feels much different than the feeling you get walking in to the auditorium for the service. Though that has it's own beautiful homeyness. But here there is always a child to greet you when you come in, yelling your name and smiling! Sometimes I'll be in the middle of a conversation with someone and a little child will have themselves wrapped around my leg like they haven't seen me in forever. And occasionally (like this Sunday) I'll look down and the child hugging me isn't one that I know! Who does that? No one. Not one in my life does that except the sweet children that I get to be with. Nothing can make you cry faster than a child that loves you passionately for absolutely no good reason. No wonder Jesus was such an advocate of children. Well, more than an advocate - He tells us to be like them. My I have such a long way to go....I am learning. Always learning.
Here, my Sunday home, is where I walk in and always see a good friend to connect with, as so many of my closest friends work with our children. I absolutely love that I'm not the only person who finds extreme beauty and life in the halls and classrooms where our families walk. Working alongside friends is the best way to work I think.
Here is also where I am greeted at the door to our children's areas by guys I know and trust who are on security duty. I often catch myself grinning as i pass by. They must think I'm crazy, or maybe mocking them. But all i can think of is that these are the men who will take a hit if some crazy comes after our kids. I never want to think about craziness, violence or trauma. But it's happened. In schools, in churches, and in the communities and homes of friends that I love in Africa. So, when I pass by these men I am deeply thankful for them. They are husbands and fathers to the women and children that I know well. But they are also strong and valiant to me as they represent the heart in us all to truly lay down our lives for one another.
This, my church home, is where I see parents faces as they leave their child for the first time, the 100th time, or as they come back to pick them up and listen to the teacher tell about what their child learned about the Gospel...today. I love their faces. Some of them challenged, others insecure, some confident and almost giving the teacher the blow off of "yes yes, we teach him that at home". Some cry and share about how hard things are at home right now. Others ask the teacher how in the world they got their child to pray, and the teacher explains that she didn't....and it occurs to the parent that maybe they are teaching their child something about the God of all after all.
It feels like family to be there for some of the important moments, to remind parents of how special and fun their child is, to develop friendships that have lasted the test of time. Some days I find myself in the home of a young couple who has just lost their baby. We weep, hold each other and then...pray hope for the future as Christ promises to redeem everything, someday. Others I sit with a father and his daughter in my office as she shares how she thinks she might be being abused by her brothers when her dad isn't home. Tears fall down her cheeks and her hands shake cause she's nervous, but in the end dad is taking his whole family to counseling and refuses to be passive - he advocates for his daughter. There are the moments of holding someones brand new baby during a baby dedication and see the parents eyes as they share about how amazing this child is that was given to them, and their vision for who they want to be as parents, as community, as home. There are moments when a mother breaks down with a teacher and shares what is really going on. A child sits with a mentor and confesses that she lies and wonders if it's a sin, and is so surprised and relieved to hear that there is forgiveness and a loving hand to walk her through it. Mom and Dad leave a parenting class and realize for the first time that they HAVE to be on the same page if they are going to survive these foundational years. The stories...well they are endless. But they are stories of my people. Courageous, bold, humble, valiant, pure, open people.
I’m home in the eyes, laughter, tears and hearts of so many great people. I am so proud of them but also SO grateful that they hold me close in my own moments of grief and confusion. Thank God for family.
No comments:
Post a Comment