Love Night

Last week was probably one of the best nights we've had at Metro Kidz, I know I say that quite often but it's so true! God is really working miracles at Metro Kidz and every week I feel like something more amazing than the prior week happens. Whether it's an amazing teaching moment with my girls, whether it's writing love letters and feeling like someone appreciated what everyone had to say, whether it's serving the kids with everything in me/us or if I just walk away feeling that God used me silently.

This past week we had love night, where most of us wrote love letters to our kids and read them aloud, Aaron (Basch) played music and Terah M. and some girls from Grace came and helped us serve our kids "restaurant" style and a wonderful group of women made all the food for the evening.

As I read my letter and almost burst into tears, I realize how much I really do love what I do, I can not imagine doing anything else. I feel more love from these kids than I feel like I've ever given them...I can't imagine not spending my free time hanging out in the city, or spending Wednesday nights with these kids, even the ones who yell at me, or tell me how horrible I am...

Today as I was driving into the church I just stopped and prayed, specifically in front of three homes, of kids I've met and invited to Metro Kidz, but they've never come I pray God will pull them out and send them.

So I realize this entry is a lot of mumble jumble so please forgive me there's just so much on my heart and I can't really find the words to say it all...

God has been doing some amazing things in my heart and mind lately, He's been calling me out and pulling me out and using me in ways

A detour of sorts...

So I was driving into work today and it's almost if God took me on a detour, I decided instead of going right to work I was going to go over to Hollins street and check out the memorial see if they'd changed it for the holiday or not. As I'm pulling onto the road police cars come out of nowhere, ambulances are schreeching up the street and more than one helicopter is flying overhead, I don't know why God sent me this way today, maybe it's so I could pray, maybe it's so I could meet these two sweet (but broken and confused) girls, one of which I've fallen in love with already and want to work with her to help her get into college and find a job, the other needs some motivation to go to school everyday...everday it's something new, everyday there's heartache and excitement, somedays people scream and yell at me and others people smile and thank me, somedays are hard while others are a piece of cake, but I am SO THANKFUL, that God has picked me to be here...

Taking things for Granted

I was taught an important lesson this past weekend, I shouldn't take things for granted. Saturday I planned an outing with my girls so we could spend time together and bond outside of regular Wednesday/Sunday meetings. I wanted to take them out of the city, hang out, laugh, pray and cry together. We did just that. I had planned the entire day in my head I would take them to a nice "sit down" restaurant i.e.: Uno's, Red Robin etc. and then we'd go to a movie or the mall or something of that nature, since our D.C. trip wasn't happening.

When I asked the girls what they wanted to do, they wanted to have lunch at Cici's Pizza an all you can eat pizza place, go to the Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart. All of these places, I can frequent whenever I want. Usually when I've given teenage girls a choice on where to go in the past, it's been something "crazy" like getting their nails done, going bowling, etc. these girls where so excited about spending three hours going to the Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart, and eating all the pizza they possibly could.

On our outing I learned so much about my girls and their hearts, as sad as I was that only three of them managed to turn in their permission slips and go, I was thankful in the end because I was able to connect with these three girls in a way that if there had been more girls would have been harder. I am so excited because I am going to help them apply for summer jobs, and for one of them who happens to be a mother of two young kids a job for good.

I realized that I take so much for granted, these girls don't have any idea how to even begin looking for a job, let alone have the encouragement in the homes to find one, and I wake up grumbling some mornings because I "hate" my job, these girls have to take five to six buses to get to the closest Wal-Mart, I can drive there whenever I want and think nothing of it.

It was such a humbling experience for me, I think God was trying to make me realize that I do take a lot for granted. God has actually been teaching me a lot of lessons this week, I am so glad he's able to refine me, break me, mold me and teach me.