In this, my favorite time of year as I walked through my days this week I just kept thinking, "My cup runneth over." Here are just a couple reasons why...
During FUN Reading (a time where after I read a story or two the kids all pick books and read for awhile) one of my girls brought me the book, The Day the World Went Wacky." In it a little boy asks why there are bad things in the world and the story explains about Adam and Eve and how they sinned and because of that the world is in sin. It shows that is the reason for pain and suffering. It explains that Christ died to heal the world and give everyone an eternal home. I started reading in English and explaining a bit in Thai because I thought it was important. By the end of the story all of my kids were sitting around me listening intently. Which while I almost always have one or two ask me to read more to them I never end up with them all listening to a story. I prayed that the words they heard made sense and were planted in their hearts. Finishing the story made us late to meet the other classes for a group activity and as we rushed down the hall one of my girls (from a Buddhist family) slipped her hand into mine and said, "I know a song about following Jesus." She softly sang a song that our staff sings in the mornings about walking in the path of Jesus. I pray that she chooses that path for her own life.
Yesterday, my kiddos got a special ice cream treat. They've been working on earning it for several months and they were super excited. So, after the Bible lesson I broke out the ice cream. As they sat at their desks all pushed together with their hands folded nicely waiting quietly I asked who wanted to pray. One of my little girls raised her hand and everyone closed their eyes and bowed their heads. And she prayed...in English..."Thank you God for ice cream. Thank you Miss Emily ten oh yeahs (what they had to earn to get their treat). Thank you God for today, for our milk, and for each other. Amen." Precious.
My new student is a beautiful sweet child who loves to hear Bible stories, who shares heartbreaking stories about her family, and who braves riding in the scary car with three foreign teachers so that she is able to come to school. After school she is a princess twirling and dancing. One of my other students pretends to be the prince, bows low and takes the princesses hand. Then they all burst out laughing. The story continues with make believe princesses and I'm thankful. I pray that these girls know how beautiful they are and that they are daughters of the heavenly King. I pray that their fairy tales are not clouded by the harsh realities they have faced and continue to face. I pray they continue to twirl and laugh and smile with dimples and that they know how loved they are.
As I behold the faces of these children the Lord has given me I wonder, how did I get so blessed?
love. it. period.
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