Bringing Back Sheaves

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Psalm 126:5-6 

It really is a blessing to be able to be a part of the same kids' ministry now for the past 5 years. Some times it makes me feel really old when I see the kids turning into pre-teens and teens but mostly it brings songs of joy to my heart. Why? Because there are sheaves, there is a harvest! There are kids who now are ministering to other kids.

The sowing was hard. Were these kids paying attention to the important lessons we were trying to teach them? Did they get it? And then there were the tears of frustration: Am I accomplishing anything?! There were the Bible classes when I felt like a failure as a teacher and disciple-maker. There were the times when it seemed like the kids wanted to be anywhere but in my class learning about the most important person in the world.

Right before my trip to the states, I had a simple conversation with one of the teens at the club that really encouraged me. A few years ago she was kind of an annoying kid. She just had a very bossy, take-charge attitude that even made some of her peers uncomfortable. I remember once when she was in charge of gingerbread cookie decorating that she made the little kids choose two types of sprinkles and then SHE decorated them. In my mind I called her our "future CEO." Well, she's gotten involved at the youth group and church and she told me that she's started helping with the little kids' Sunday school class at church. And I knew that God was leading this girl down the path of learning to be a leader to others. And I'm confident that He'll use her as a powerful leader in His kingdom. 

This past year has been a year of discovering sheaves. Of seeing kids become missionaries to other communities, Kids praise dance members, and intercessors for their families. Now they are sowing seeds of their own. Becoming co-workers in kingdom-building in Cusco, Peru.