Wednesday night church is often a trial because I am the 'head' of our Children's department. After the lesson they have a snack and playtime before being dismissed. Sounds pretty harmless but if you knew these particular children- about 22 of them- you'd understand why I say church is a trial.
I spend most of the day Wednesday in prayer as I go about my daily chores and such, praying that the children will be in good spirits, that they'll be well behaved, but more often than not they are as they were tonight....Monsters.
I try so hard to love these kids, even going as far as to tell them I do in hopes of sparking some feeling besides frusteration but more and more I dread Wednesdays and I hate it. These kids are undisciplined at home, have no respect for authority, no respect for church or the people in it. They say horrible things to each other and the leaders, they hit, kick, bite, punch and throw things. And what can I do? They're between the ages of 5 and 10. Anything I come up with for discipline has no affect. They simply don't care.
Their parents don't attend church, we're basically a free babysitting service for them on Wednesdays. They get rid of their kids for two hours and I leave church feeling like I've been emotionally beat up. I want to love these kids because I know they're not getting loved at home, many of them, and I want to show them Jesus, I want so badly to show them Jesus. I want to plant the seeds that God will nourish, so I know I have to keep on keeping on.
Lord, Help me love these kids. Help me love them like Jesus. Be with them tonight, with their families. Robert, Alexis, Lakyne, Jade, Kyrah, Kylie, Kaylie, Lexi, Rachael, Nathaniel, Taylor, Marissa, Timothy, Nate, Jake, Thomas, Serina, Nicholas, Kam-Ron, Rachael, Skyler, & Jonah. Be with them, Lord, reach their hearts.
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