A Personal Ministry Perspective

The end of the school year had brought unexpected transitions for one particular girl. Changes beyond her control.  Responsibility beyond her maturity. The tallest girl in her class. She felt angry and awkward. To add insult to injury... acne had taken hold. Why did she have to be different?  Why did she have to be the first among her peers to advance to adolescence? Without perspective to understand what was happening, she despairingly confessed to her mother, "my body hates me."

"You are wonderfully made. God created you. You are part of His plan. "  Her parents reassured.

"Yeah... sure... you're suppose to say that" she said.

Throughout the summer, she got to spend one day a week helping take care of the little kids whose mothers came up to Wiregrass Church to prepare curriculum for Waumba Land and Upstreet.  That's how she got to know a rambunctious 2-year-old, named Grace. Very soon, 'Friends' volunteer days became her favorite part of the week. It became hard to tell if Grace was following her around, or if she was following Grace around. At any rate, the two were inseparable. However, like things often do, the summer came to an end. In the last week she got to spend taking care of Grace, she told her mother, "I just love Grace. She's so smart. She's the tallest her age. She's just like me."

The start of the new school year has come with a renewed spirit. Through Grace, she saw herself differently than she had just a few months before. God created Grace. The tallest her age, but God made her that way. Grace is advanced beyond her peers, but God has a plan for Grace. Grace, she thought, is a most wonderful creation.  When she saw herself in Grace, she saw herself with a new perspective. She began to appreciate her uniqueness. 

Her simple understanding of God grew a little in those few months.  Through her willingness to invest in Grace a few hours a week, she learned that she and Grace were a lot alike.  And how could anyone not love Grace.