Summer Assignment: Week 2
Hey Everyone!
This week has been wonderful/tiring/inspiring/refreshing. I don’t even know where to start.
This week, during one of our bible lessons, we talked with the kids about worries. Matthew 6:25-34 talks about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. They don’t worry about what they will eat or “labor and spin”, God provides for the birds and clothes the lilies. ”If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” We had them grab rocks to symbolize their worries and we were going to throw them into a creek, symbolically giving our worries to God.
While waiting for the kids to get into a line so we could walk to the creek, one of the kids was picking up TONS of rocks. My first impression was that he just wanted to throw a bunch of rocks in the creek so I wanted to hurry him up. I walked up to him and asked him why he was grabbing so many rocks. He said “these are for all my worries” I said I could see that he already had a lot of rocks in his hands so maybe it was time to go. He showed me his front pocket, which was filled with rocks. Seeing his hands and pockets full of worries filled me with so much love for him. Earlier when we asked the kids what they worried about, this boy raised his hand and said “I worry about when I’m going to pass away.” The previous week he told us that his low for the year was when his family member was shot and killed.
This boy is 11. Yet his hands and pockets are full of worries. At 11 he has seen death by violence, moving because his home was torn down by people that want their city to “look nice”, and his new home will probably be torn down again by the same people within the year.
Watching him throw his rocks into the creek made me realize something. My pockets were full of rocks. I have so many worries that I know in my head that God will take care of, but my heart just doesn’t get it. How much more free would I feel if I threw those rocks into the creek? I needed to let Jesus hold those worries and allow myself to walk in faith, trusting he will take care of all my needs. I gave one of the girls my rocks to throw into the creek, because she wanted to throw more, and I prayed that God would take those things that I worry about away from me and carry it because I couldn’t do it anymore.
Of course, once I do that Satan wants to bring me down again. He wants to make me forget that I gave those worries to God. But I have one up on him. I have a community here that continues to speak into my life, confirming that I carry too many burdens (bad burdens) and filling me with wisdom. With out that, I’d just be going in circles, giving worries to God but taking them back again. My soul is being refreshed daily and I praise God for the family I have here in Charlotte. I’m so glad, I’m apart of the family of God.
-Prezza
Check out this artist from the Charlotte area. Her songs are amazing and I just saw he last night! (even though she was a back up singer and not leading worship that evening. But someday! I will experience her leading worship! I hope)
http://www.myspace.com/ambernbrooks
