Living Every Moment Redemptively

So, I just finished up my second ministry week, and we are preparing to start the second Mission Indy week tomorrow. I can't believe that we are already five weeks through the summer. That is half way through the internship! Ridiculous! It is flying just as I knew it would; I just wish I could find some way to slow it down.

Despite my lamenting about the summer going quickly, I have been troubled this week with my thoughts about just trying to get through the ministry week. I struggle often with trying not to wish seasons, weeks, days, hours, minutes away. I know that I need to make the most of every opportunity. I also know that I will regret wishing moments away when I look back and realizing how quickly life truly does go by.

Anyway, I love my kindergarteners at Shepherd. They are simply beautiful. However, each day I come home absolutely exhausted. Consequently, I start each morning with an attitude of just trying to make it through the seven hours of the work day, so I can go home and take a nap or hang out with friends. I am pained even writing those thoughts! I realize how selfish they are and how much I am missing out on God's purpose for me where I am. Please pray for me to truly be there. Not just physically. I want to be there in every way to be able to fully invest in these children.

On that note, God has really been teaching how important the work that is being done at Shepherd is. At times it can be frustrating feeling like you are constantly having to tell kids to get back in line or to stop hitting one another. I have really been convicted by Mike Bowling's statement that every action we take must be an act of redemption. I know last week when I worked with these kids, I was not redemptive with a lot of my discipline or actions with them. If one of them misbehaved, I simply scolded them in front of the whole class. I never talked with them about it though because I didn't think I had time in the midst of the busyness of the day. This week I have prayed that God would show me what it looks like to work with these kids in a redemptive way. On a few occasions I have pulled kids out of class if they told another student that they didn't want to be their friend anymore. I have let them tell me the whole situation from each perspective. I have talked with them about what it means to love one another and to love our enemies. I have prayed with them for forgiveness and for help from Jesus to live like him. I don't know if this is what redemption looks like exactly, but I know that God can use even the smallest bit to impact his children. I read once that God can speak through anything as evidenced by his ability to bring Peter to his knees by a mere rooster crowing three times. I am incredibly encouraged by that. :)

As we start this next Mission Indy week, continue to pray for all of us to learn to live redemptively. Pray for the youth groups who are coming. Pray that God would use this week to open their eyes to the truths of his Scriptures. Pray specifically for us interns. These weeks can be very exhausting. It is so easy to lose sight of why we are here. It is also very easy for me to pour myself out to people, but stop allowing God the time to fill me back up. My investment in others will be meaningless if I am not first rooted in Christ. John 15:5 has been such an important verse for me this summer, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." While it has been important, I have not fully taken hold of the truth of the verse and lived it out. Pray for me in that this week.

Thanks so much for reading. I love you all!

-Kels