They're candid, cute, energetic and yes, sometimes they test your patience and they seemed to be assessing just how loud your voice can get to get your point across... who am I talking about?? KIDS!! Spending time with these kiddos bring smile to my heart like nobody else can.
...and as ironic as this sounds, they have taught and reminded me on a lot of things that we have forgotten as grown ups. :)
Most Basic of the Basics
At Children's Church, we teach 3-6 years old. So their attention span is like thisshort. So whatever your point is, you have to make it as simple, as colorful and as lively as you can.
That's the challenge and the beauty of being with these kids. They make you think twice and even thrice on the most basic things. Forgiveness, sins, lying, truth and trust are big words for them... So how do I make them understand forgiveness and trust in the simplest way possible...? It's not easy, I tell you! :P
Back in 2010 :) Look, I'm playing Abraham here! Lol!
There's this one kid years ago and I had to tell him why lying is bad. Well aside from the fact that it makes God sad, I realized that I somehow fell short on the answers to his "whys", and it made me think too. It's important for me that people tell the truth, but why is it important and how do I make a 4-year old kid understand it?
Hmm... More than a few times, I get stumped. I'm okay doing pitches in a boardroom with corporate people, but leave me in a room in front of 4 year olds, and you would see me struggling more with words and explanations.
Oh man.... and then I remember then that after giving the little guy an answer on why lying is wrong and I was feeling pretty proud of having been able to give him one, he just looked at me and said, "can I have the soup now?" What?!! After all the effort of wrestling with the best possible answer I could give you, all you could think of was that bowl of soup??! I had to laugh at that! I was shrugging as I let him go have his "soup" :P But it did get me thinking on the value of truth-telling.
When you have to break down the most basic of things to make these kids understand, it makes you think and reflect on the already-too-familiar things in life.
Sharing is Caring
Another instance was just last Sunday. During snack time (snack time is a very revealing time for kids :P) there were two brothers who just finished their biscuits and they were sipping water from their paper cups.
The little one was peering over his half-filled cup. He was beside his older brother and without a word, and to my surprise, he poured some of his water to his brother's cup! Then as if knowing that I was looking at him, he smiled at me and said "SHARE!" His older brother saw his now almost-full cup and smiled at me as he repeated his little brother's word: SHARE!!!!"
It's so cute how these little ones show how much they care for one another just when you least expect it :)
Remembering Faces and Saying Hello!
What could easily make my day is whenever one of our students try to get my attention outside class (like when I'm walking around the mall or stuffing my face with food) by waving and saying hello! One girl even referred to me as her friend when she pointed me to her mom. :P Yaaay!
The most recent one was just last Sunday, when a little girl sneaked up from behind me in the food court (just before we were about to serve) and said "Hi teacher!!!" She faced me with that smile so big, it immediately made me light up!!!
I am bad with names, so I forgot her name (I know, I know, bad teacher) and I am also not the friendliest woman in the hood, so this little girl reminded me that it's important to remember people's faces and to be friendly enough to say hello! Okay, okay, I am going to try to be better with names next time :D
Motion before emotion
Honestly, serving at kids for about 4 years already, there are moments when I ask whether it's time to move on to another ministry... and moments like these happen and I'm just glad that I'm still here, serving. :)
Like the many things I do, there are days when I don't feel like teaching at kids church, but when I do teach, I am almost always glad that I did... Ever had one of those? It may be a place you didn't want to go to, or something that you had to do but don't really feel like it, but in the end, you know you did the right thing and that made you feel good eventually. You know what they say, motion before emotions :)
So that made my weekend :D It's true what they say, being with kids more than half your age really makes you young! Kahit feeling-young lang! Haha!
With the rest of VCF Greenhills Kids Ministry :)
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