my eyes have been opened, again.

tonight opened up my eyes a little further. instead of going in the regular service, my friend and i helped out a children’s worker with a 10 and 11 year old girl class. the lesson was naming off things about the crucifixion and see how much they knew while writing it in a diagram on the board. when they first began naming things that happened along the way to the crucifixion, i was thinking, ‘sure this is too easy for them. they’re in fourth/fifth/sixth grade, they’ve got to know this stuff’. i was wrong. at least about one girl. her name is quadera. my heart went out to her. she apparently hasn’t been raised in a christian family and hasn’t had the blessed opportunity to learn all about the Bible since she she was in diapers. it really did something in me, watching her, hearing her responses.

near the middle of the discussion the children’s worker said “and what happened after he rose and went to Heaven?” to the girls. quadera answered, “then He created the earth”. ohmygoodness. big slap in my face. this girl has no clue. i thank God that she is attending our children’s programs on wednesday nights. we get to plant a seed in her precious heart and help her to grow in her knowledge of her Savior. i thank God that she isn’t home, but instead gets on the van and comes. that her parents somehow allow her to attend. but instead of me blessing her, she has blessed me. beyond anything i thought imaginable.

i’m glad this happened tonight. i just want to hug and squeeze quadera and tell her how precious and special she is in her Father’s eyes, and how her Savior died for her so that she could live with Him forever. and that she’s beautiful and that people love her. i prayed for a chance to reach out to those in my county before i leave. God has answered and He is saying, “help the quaderas”. tell them about me. help those little kids who I love so much and sent my Son to die for.

everything within me wants to go to quadera’s house and just sit down with her, tell her everything i know about Jesus. i just want to sit there, hold her and cry. i want to weep for how she doesn’t know yet. weep for when she will. weep for all the quaderas out there who don’t know. who nobody’s taken the time to tell, those quaderas that are not loved. but i will wait until next wednesday night and take time to form a relationship with her. to show her love and then she can understand how much more He loves her.

oh yes. next wednesday night. and i can’t wait.

quadera, He has plans for you and hope for a future. He loves you. a love that surpasses anything you’ve ever known. beyond your wildest dreams. oh, sweet quadera. i so badly want you to know Him. i’m praying for you girl. oh, am i praying.