This past month our teams have spent almost all of our ministry time with kids. We have hung out with them while they did their homework in the afternoons, played games in the mornings, put on a VBS, and countless presentations involving dancing, skits, and messages in some of the schools in the area. While we have worked with children in previous months, I’ve learned how to love them like Jesus does more than ever in Colombia.
One of the major lessons I’ve learned is that you can’t hide anything from kids. They are completely aware if you are uncomfortable or if you have a pure heart. Honestly, being around kids is a good litmus test to see how you are doing in life. If they run to you with joy, that’s typically a good sign, but if they ignore you entirely it’s worth taking the time to question why.
Something else I’ve learned is that kids just want you to be real. More than that, they want you to be on their level. Standing up in front of a group of kids may be effective for some but the vast majority won’t feel connected to you. They crave affection and attention. One of the simplest and best ways I’ve learn to give that is making long eye-contact with a goofy look on your face. Unless the kid is extremely stubborn, it will yield a huge smile because they feel special. The synchronized dances we’ve put on have been some of my favorite times because they gave us the opportunity to connect with the kids by showing joy. Few things have shown what it means to love children better than seeing a face perk up simply because you took the time to look them in the eye and connect with them. The same thing happens when you sit on the floor during a discussion rather than standing up. The kids want to feel like you’ve noticed them specifically and it really doesn’t take much. Heck, even running around in a circle giving high-fives or being open to receiving hugs from them is absolutely huge.
Being around kids so much this month has been an inspiration to me. They give their love and joy so willingly if you take the time to notice them. I know this is a concept that is discussed regularly in churches but I understand why Jesus wanted us to model our faith after children. Kids aren’t concerned about being vulnerable or what people think. They feel a certain way and express it without question, especially when it comes to showing affection. That’s how I want to live. I don’t want to guard myself in how I express care with other people or during worship. I am striving to find a child-like faith where I find wonder even in the simple.
I’m so glad I’ve had this month to learn these lessons. While I love kids, I’m not the one they typically run to first, and I realized it was because I was resisting making connections. When you find kids that you love it means that part of your heart belongs to them. That’s tough, especially when we have seen hundreds of kids this month. After having a discussion with one of my fellow racers about how difficult it is to actually allow yourself to connect with each ministry, she posed the question: “Why else are we here?” Yes, it is a challenge to want to strongly invest because the knowledge of an impending difficult good-bye is always on the horizon. What I’ve discovered is if you don’t allow yourself to dig in to the point of it hurting to even consider leaving, then your Race will be extremely lack luster. God won’t be able to give you everything He had planned because your heart was hardened to protect itself from the pain of farewells.
While this blog post started out with a reflection on how best to connect with kids (which anyone who is a parent or works in children’s ministry could tell you, ha), the real purpose for it is to say that I’ve finally allowed myself to truly love the people here. They are like family. We had a service this past Sunday where they said thank you, and I was almost in tears knowing that we have less than a week left. Bogota, specifically the people in it, has stolen a part of my heart that I will never get back. If I’m honest with myself, that part probably never really belonged to me. It was designed to love these people specifically and to be left behind with them. It has been a challenging and great month. Set your watches for waterworks on Friday morning.
