Every Wednesday night for the last two years during the school year I volunteer with Texas Baptist partner Buckner Children and Family Services at their Vickery location. Some ladies from my church teach ESL classes and others of us watch their kids. Ages for the kids range from jr. high down to two year olds. During that hour we do a Bible story and craft. Somehow this year I got to be in charge of that. (I think I was the only childcare person to show up at the planning meeting!!!)
It’s funny to me that that happened b/c I don’t consider myself to be very good with groups of children and never dreamed that I would teach in any form or fashion. That lack of confidence in my ablities makes it tough to go some days.
I’ve worked all day and I’m tired. I think that I wasn’t really made to teach. Then I don’t feel like I’m prepared enough. Then other times I know I’m prepared but I wonder why this group of kids would ever even listen to a goofy “old lady” like me. I’ve been with these kids for almost two years and they still don’t know my name without craning their necks to see my nametag. Most of the time they just call me “Miss.” Then I start to worry about the older kids being bored and the younger kids not being able to understand what we’re teaching. I do not speak Spanish and cannot communicate verbally with some of the kids. The list can go on and on of how I can get caught up in thinking I’m not good enough to help with these kids.
But, last night I had a really good night with the kids. They listened well and enjoyed the craft and I started thinking about the story of one little girl that comes on Wednesday night. She came in past the registration date and I wasn’t supposed to let her stay. I remember feeling overwhelmed, underprepared and not good enough to help. She was just starting school and spoke very little English. She was very shy. I couldn’t communicate well enough with her or her mom to tell her that she couldn’t join the group, so I just let her stay. She kept coming back and her mom kept coming to class.
Through that ESL class and the Buckner ministry at Vickery, someone invited that little girl’s mom to church. And her mom came to know Christ through someone at the church. Now I see the little girl, her mom and her brother at church on Sunday mornings.
For all of the insecurities I have about myself and my abilities to serve at Vickery, I feel like God has given me something to hold on to…that if I just show up and am willing to be there, He can allow even the tired, goofy, underprepared “Miss” to be a part of the chain of events that leads someone to come to know Him.
That’s amazing.
