In Her Shoes.
Dear struggling girl,
Sometimes I wish I could go back. I wish I could redo some of the things that I did NOT do and say some of the things I did NOT say. I wish I could go back and trade in the approval of my peers for accepting the outcast.
On Friday, my class and I had a random Jesus moment.
(I could totally be talking about lunch and all of a sudden it’s like a Holy Spirit pinch. Something we just HAVE to talk about at that exact moment that the Lord placed in my heart. Does anyone else do that?!)
I asked them not to look around. I proceeded to ask them if they’d ever been compelled to sit with a child at lunch or recess that doesn’t have any friends. Most of them raised their hand. Then I asked them if they had ever ignored that feeling. Every hand was raised. We spent a long time after that talking. You’d be surprised what fourth graders can pick up on.
We may be the only Jesus someone ever comes in contact with. For their entire life. Period.
Remember that.
You have no idea how broken the lives of your peers are. That girl you sit beside in 3rd period, maybe her parents are getting divorced and she doesn’t understand why. That boy that’s just really not athletic, maybe he never had time for sports because he was too busy helping his single mom take care of the family. You know that girl you call names because she’s already on her third boyfriend of the semester? She’s in bondage to sin. She feels so used and worthless but she’s desperate for freedom. That other girl who is REALLY shy. Her dad is getting deployed for an entire year.
Every person’s heartache is different. Love the neglected. Pray for the weak. Be an advocate for the outcast and walk with the broken.
“How you walk with the broken speaks louder than how you sit with the great.”
