Sunday, June 07, 2009

What I learned...

The one thing I love about teaching & working with the youth is I learn so much myself...

I almost titled the last lesson that I learned something from this same thing.. but just used "Come thou Fount"... but I think from here on out, the things I learn from teaching, it'll just have to go under this name... so much to learn...

But today's message was very simple. Today was the big "move" - & by move, I mean our 8th graders who will now be in High school moved up to Senior High - the 5th graders who will be in middle school came up for the first time to "CrossRoads"... which can be very scary for these little ones. Change always is...

So my lesson was called "Are you normal" - which is really to show that no matter where you are at, especially when some scared 6th graders are in the same class with "mature" 8th graders - you are normal... that 8th grader was just in their spot just what seemed like yesterday...

The cool thing - Jesus went through the childhood ages, the teen ages, the young adult ages - he knew those feelings, those emotions.... how much encouragement is that! And we dont know much about his childhood - the Bible skips most of those ages - but we have to know he developed physicially, socially, mentally & most important, Spiritually.... because God was with him!

But at the end of the lesson - it totally hit me! As a Christian - we are called to NOT BE NORMAL! Normal isn't a preteen who speaks boldly of Christ - Normal isn't a bunch of kids organzing a Bible study at school - Normal isn't a group of young teens who pray before school for their school day together - Normal is not a teen who does not follow the "crowd" with drugs & sex.... so much of the "normal" world isnt the world that Christ longs for.

So yeah, these kids are normal... but I want them to be MORE THEN NORMAL! I think God wants that for all of us!
"Do not be conformed to the world...." -Romans 12:2

9 comments:

  1. I love normal! However, my oldest son tells me we aren't - We're called to be a peculiar people. Normal is a mom and dad raising children to love Jesus. I love knitting, too. Have you ever knit a sock scarf? I'm going to write, "Ode to the Sock Scarf, how like a 14 year old you are"

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  2. You have given me goosebumps with this post.

    I so want this for my kids. I was too busy trying to be normal, with no guidance when I was a teen. I stumbled, I fell, and only by the grace of God did I not succumb to many of the temptations surrounding me at that time.

    I want to be MORE THAN NORMAL, too. Great post!

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  3. You are right on the money today, my friend!

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  4. Awesome post. I dont want to be normal and I hope my kids never want to be normal either.

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  5. How did I not realize that you are a teacher? I need to do better blog homework! I am going to stay consistently Not Normal :D

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  6. RJ,
    Dak came in one day when he was in the seventh grade proclaiming that I was different and he wanted to know why I had to be so different. Couldn't I just be like all the other moms? Uhhhh no Dak, PRAISE THE LORD I CANNOT!!!!!

    It's not so bad being different, I'm finding it the norm in my life. The norm is NOT being normal. How GREAT is that?!!!

    Love you friend,
    Dawn

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  7. This was great JoJo! Just wanted to stop by and say hello. Love ya, friend!

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