"Miss Kayla, Teach me."
"Teach you what?"
"About the word of God."
I was taken aback last Sunday when after teaching Sunday school, eight- 10 year old boys walked up to me and asked this very question.
Last week our team helped Delierance Church put on a huge crusade, we were busy from 9am till 11 pm from Tuesday till Saturday. To say we were exhausted getting up to teach Sunday school this week would be an understatement.
We were going to talk about Moses- a quick easy story- not much thought and it would take the whole time to tell. But it is funny how that isn't how things turn out.
The children were dismissed to us after church, just like every week. We crowded into our 20×30 classroom, and our normal 80 children flooded in, and I started to get concerned when I couldn't see the end of the line of children waiting to get in. By the time they all got situated in this tiny tiny room- most sitting on top of each other- I was shoved against the front wall with my translator.
Well Moses got thrown out the window.
All of a sudden I was preaching. Not nice American pastor preaching, raising my voice yelling the truth type preaching at all 140 children packed into this room. I told them that they were responsible for telling their friends about the Truth of Jesus, I told them that the Kingdom of God belongs to them. That the Holy Spirit lives inside of them and can perform miricles. I told them their prayers were powerful and needed. I told them Americans needed missionaries, and they should start praying hard that God would provide a way for them to come. And before I knew it, I gave an alter call and lead these children in a salvation prayer.
It was about then that my mind caught up to what my body has just done. Honestly if one of my teammates had not recorded me, I would not have even known what I said.
I finished the prayer and my voice hurt from my 'preaching yelling'. I was unsure what just happened, I was kinda freaked out about how out of control I had just been. I thought 'well whoops that wasn't the plan we had set up.'
I walked out of the classroom and let my teammates take over.
But I looked back in and saw a sight and sounds I would never forget.
A twelve year old street boy, in ragged clothes, the only pair he owned, was standing in front of 140 children- leading worship.
It was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes. I said "Okay God if you had to take control and use me for this, fine."
But then God blew my mind even more. Those 10 year olds walked up to me and asked me flat out
"teach us about the word of God."
I sat down with them. Ran through the entire story of David. Then 4 parables from Matthew. I explained and they sat wide eyed. About an hour later I needed to go home, and these boys were upset.
"Kayla, Meet us this afternoon with your bible. Teach us more."
… and I did, and after that they asked when I could come to their house and teach them more. They sought out other memebers of my team begging them to teach them about God.
I am so rediculously humbled by this whole situation. You see, I have been afraid to let God use me. So finally He just took over.
At my most tired, most fed up moment- He showed me through these children a passion and desire for God like I had never seen.
Beautiful, teachable, passion for the Word of God.
Oh what we can learn from the children….
But Jesus called them to him saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God.
Luke 18:16
