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.