Monday, April 11, 2016

Thoughts from a Seed Planter

In this post, intern Aleisha Boley shares about her girls discipleship group:

Have you ever done something in your life that when you first had the idea, it looked so exciting (maybe something like a Pinterest craft)? "That thing would just look so cute sitting in your living room!" So you start buying and collecting the things you need to make the project. After about a couple of weeks, you realize this isn't just a little project anymore. It's a big one, and there is so much more to it then you thought!! But after all the hard work, the results were worth it, and now you have this cute thing sitting in your living room.

The beginning of last month, I took on something that at first looked really exciting; then after I said I would do it, reality hit, and there was a lot more to it then I thought. On Thursday nights, I started a teen girls Bible study. When the first night came around, I was a little stressed out. I mean, I was going to teach these young girls about things that I'm still learning every day! The evening passed, and all went really well! The girls talked, and we had some good discussions. I went home that night and thought to myself, "Why was I so stressed about the whole thing?" I realized it was more about making sure everything was perfect and that I looked like I knew what I was doing. But it's not about that; it's about loving these girls and showing them that I care about them and their lives. They just want someone to hang out with and talk about what's going on with their families and school. They want a friend.

 
It's been a month now that we have been getting together. I see progress in these girls. When it's discussion time, they really like to talk about what they just learned and ask questions. Every fourth week, I take them somewhere, and we have a fun day. Last time I took them shopping to the mall, and then we went to Peter Piper. I know it's not a Bible study, but sometimes doing things like that  can create good conversations about why I do some of the things I do--like why we pray for our food and what should they do about the boys they like (there are a lot of conversations about boys....I forgot how much elementary girls like boys!). It's so fun getting to know little things about the girls--their favorite food, color, and their dreams.

 
I'm so glad I choose to do this, And I'm really excited to see where these girls' lives will be when we are done. It might not be a big change, but just to plant a little seed in them will be a start. I'm praying that God will keep working in these girls and show them that He loves them, and He's got a great plan for their lives if they choose to listen.

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