Miracles in the Classroom.
Every week, a group of 3 of us. Me, Kyla, Aubrey, and KB go into high school classrooms, and share a message. The messages are mostly oriented around chasing your dreams. I can not explain how much this has meant to me personally, being someone who always got kicked out of class, never had the best grades, wasn’t ever “popular”, found it hard to find friends, you name it. I have the privilege to share with these kids how beautiful this world is outside of the classroom. Speaking at these school assemblies, and in the classrooms here has forever changed my life, and given me a new passion for how important it really is.
I feel like a lot of the times our school systems fail kids in the states, if you don’t make good grades, play sports, or are one of the “cool kids”, they don’t really do much for you or even care who you become after high school. Instead of pursuing actual friendships and becoming role models to the kids, they simply say “well tutorials are available after school”. In my mind, it would be a lot different if a teacher actually took the time to pull me aside and let me know how much potential we had and cared that I actually bettered myself and learned the material. Kids forget how big life is outside of the classroom. Stare at the same walls everyday, see the same people, kids say things about you, and a lot of the times you just assume they are right. I know I did. The teachers know best, and sometimes I think they put too big of a decision on students that simply don’t know any better. That don’t know how big life is yet. How important they are yet.
I new thinks I’m learning is to always have a “Holy anger” or “Holy discontentment”. Something that just gets to you so much, that you have to try and change for the growth of the Kingdom. What’s yours? Something that you just know is wrong, that your heart desires to change in this world.
So once being that kid, I never planned to ever go back to a high school. Well, Gods sense of humor never fails to amaze me. He took what I didn’t feel comfortable with, and has now trusted me with having some sort of small influence on these kids, and showed me a new passion in life. Teaching these kids that God can change your life, and will if you allow him too. A lot of the times we wait and pray to God for a miracle in our life’s, but he can’t guide you if you aren’t moving. Take the first step. Our ministry host said it best –
“It’s a lot easier to steer a moving car, than a parked car”.
Keep moving. Keep growing. Draw closer to him, and he will do the same.
So our lesson last week, was over hopes and dreams. We gave the kids a demonstration, using two chairs. One, the chair of nightmares. The other, the chair of dreams. We had a volunteer come and move between each seat, and asked how it felt. The kid responding “it felt easy” was just the answer we were looking for. We asked him to sit in the chair of nightmares.
The next question we asked was, what are some things that can hold you back from reaching your dreams. All different types of answers came from the kids, one by one we chose to answer. Some said drugs, some said bad influences, some said peer pressure, alcohol, etc.
As each one of these kids answered, we began to tie a rope around the kid seated in the chair representing each one of the things that can hold you back, in your nightmares. We asked him to move back to the dream chair. He tried, and couldn’t, and the class got a really fun laugh out of it.
I began to speak on my life, and how for a long time I myself was seated and tied down in the chair, of nightmares. Every relationship I tried myself, failed miserably. Basketball, fell flat on my face. Friendships, betrayed and heart broken. I began to realize that life, on a path created myself. Doesn’t work.
It wasn’t until I took the first step, and allowed Jesus to cut those ropes. That I was free.
Jesus has created each one of us for such an amazing purpose in this life, and until we take that first step, we will never truly understand the beauty life is. People will call you names, say things about you, kick you while your down. What others say about you doesn’t make you who you are, God already knows who you are and has a path for you and your dreams. You have a purpose. Bigger than you may know. Dreams, bigger than you may think you are capable of. Dream big, because God is a really, really big God.
Brokenness, is all apart of your magnificent, hand crafted story of who you are and who he will change you to be. The more broken pieces you have, the more pieces He has to work with in a sense, to make something far greater than you could have imagined in the first place. These kids were zoned in. Silence across the whole class.
So after about a 30 minute message to this classroom. I asked Aubrey (squad leader who was with me at the time) to close us in prayer. As she was praying, I felt a sense of maybe we should do an alter call, inside of the classroom. Kinda weird, yeah I thought so too. So I passed on the opportunity, and just let the prayer be closed out like normal.
Again, in a really cool way. God had different plans.
As I began to say my thank you’s and see ya later’s. A group of about 15 kids approached me, asking me to write down my phone number so they could hear more about this “Jesus guy” I was speaking on. I felt my heart open, like someone just opened a flood gate. I ran up to the teacher who came in to teach the next period, and asked if I could spend sometime with these kids to share with them who Jesus is. God being behind this whole thing, he very kindly said “yes of course”.
This was it, the Holy Spirit was there. Fighting for his children, through me. Never fails to blow my mind how he literally leaves the 99 to come after the 1 lost. He was calling his kids home.
I was just there to let them know. Crazy.
So I spent about 30 minutes with this group of about 15, while Aubrey and our translator had to go into our next class to teach.
These kids asked so many questions, and what blows me away, is that the Holy Spirit had an answer for literally every single one of them. They drew deeper and deeper, and I knew in my heart I was witnessing the true love of Jesus himself. The Holy Spirit, was moving in each one of these 15 kids.
After about 30 minutes, and 100 questions about Jesus and life itself. The Holy Spirit, led them Home.
I asked the biggest question that could ever be asked. I asked if any of them would be interested, in leaving the darkness behind, and walking in the light. Jesus. I explained Romans 10, that all you have to do is confess with your mouth, and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, and God has risen him from the dead. And you will forever be saved. Forever, have a place in heaven, with Jesus.
Every hand went up.
Every heart, Desired for a greater purpose.
Every soul, accepted the fathers call Home.
My eyes got a little blurry, my heart filled with so much love I couldn’t describe it if I wanted to. I truly felt the Holy Spirit there, and it almost brought me to my knees.
I explained a little more about what I Life with Jesus kind of looks like, and finally asked them to hold hands in a circle, and repeat the sinners prayer after me.
The joy in these kids spirits, couldn’t be acted in a movie. It was real, direct from the Holy Spirit in these kids hearts. The huge, high fives, tears of joy. The most beautiful laughter I have ever heard in my entire life. Jesus himself, showed me and these kids his power in that moment. He showed me, that he’s the one who does the miracles. He just needs someone to take that step in faith, so he can move through them.
I want to encourage whoever may read this, that he doesn’t just use someone overseas. He wants to use you everywhere, ministry is EVERYWHERE. There is someone in need spiritually, EVERYWHERE. Take that first step, and ask him where he needs you to be. And when you feel that something tugging on your heart. Make a move.
You won’t ever be alone.
Thanks for reading guys. Hope it wasn’t too long. Thank you again for all of the support over this journey. Thank you so much.
Talk soon,
Joe
