“…and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones…” I’ve been living this text with our youth (which includes my son Josh and daughter Mary Ruth who btw I love at least as much as Jesus) while on our annual youth led mission trip. This year we built a privacy fence and a covered deck and ran a Vacation Bible School at The Nelson Center in Denton, TX. The center serves severely emotionally disturbed children many of whom have experienced extreme physical, emotional and sexual abuse. You might think in serving we’ve taken up the cross to follow but I think it’s the cross that took us up. We lost our lives for Jesus’ sake to children who are thirsty to not be defined by what’s been done to them. In many ways we are incredibly naïve to think that one week can make any kind of difference but the truth is finding the life Jesus talks about happens incrementally for all of us. Every moment of grace, no matter how brief, is its own reward. I know we’ll go home tomorrow changed by this experience and we hope and pray that our serving was worthy, not of Christ, but of the children which of course is the same thing.
Good stuff! Very moving reminder of what all this really means. We are in VBS tonight as well, nothing like you're doing, however. Our gang is speaking to kids, 90% of whom never attend church, but we offered a meal as part of the school and parents went for it -- go figure. I'll pray for your group and your work.
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