Today is Saturday.
Every other Saturday I assist with watching some kiddos while a women's bible study meeting goes on at a local church. These women are all either very low income or are homeless. We provide them with a lunch meal during the bible study.
Lately I have been wanting to do something more for the kids that come more regularly. They complain about how boring it is up in the nursery area.
The ages of these older kids range from 7-13. So I have to figure out a lesson or something for them in a separate room while the bible study goes on. I have really been wanting to do this for about a month now. With a baby on the way, it's going to be a little bit harder, hopefully we will have someone to volunteer more regularly it's hard just doing it alone. I usually have a lady who helps me with the littler ones, but she is busy for the next couple of weeks and isn't able to help out for a bit.
Today really hit me how important it is to get a lesson going for them.
I sat down with the 4 older kids and asked them what they like to do and what they want to learn.
The answers were all simple ones, until one that really struck my heart. I don't know how old children are suppose to be to do certain things yet, but I'm pretty sure that they are much younger when they know how to write out and know their ABCs.
The little 7(almost 8)year old girl asked me if she can be taught how to read. :'(
Being the pregnant emotional self that I was, I had a hard time holding back tears.
But I did! You should be proud of me!
I try not to compare kids, but I thought that learning to read was something you did when you are 5 or 6 or in kindergarten? The reading part isn't really what got to me though. It was the fact that she was asking how to write a letter. A simple letter like the letter "A" she was unsure on how to write. I wrote down the ABCs on a piece of paper for her with upper case and lower case letters explaining how to use them.
She looked at me like I was a crazy. She really had a hard time understanding what I was trying to tell her.
It's sad that something simple like flash cards from dollar tree could help her tremendously, but yet I overheard the little girl talk about how her mom just got a $200 tattoo.
The judgement side really kicked in me, I was struggling hard to not be mad at this mom who was more interested in impressing her abusive boyfriend(again I was eaves dropping) rather than help her daughter with schooling or getting her a tutor or something! It really angered me. Is this really what our world has come too? This little 7 year old girl really craved my attention, she talked to me a lot! She asked questions about Jesus and why he died for us. I am tearing up a little bit writing this, but I must ask you moms. What would you do? I'm not going to confront the mom or anything, I am tempted to buy some flash cards for this little girl, but will it really help?
I think that starting up these new lessons will really help. Not just with reading part, but I hope that it helps with their inner selves. Let them know that God is there for them no matter what and that they can ALWAYS turn to Him.
One thing that made me happy and not think that I wasn't doing anything to help them was what the little girl said to me before I left today.
"Jessica, you are very pretty, I want to be as pretty as you someday" (tear)
"Thank you Krystal, but you can be! Just love Jesus like he loves us and you will always be beautiful."
The biggest smile in the world was on her face when I told her that.
It is true, Jesus is what makes me happy and he makes me beautiful inside.
Thank you all for reading!
-Jess
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