I woke up this morning thanking Jesus that he got me through this last week. The kids were out of control and definitely on another level. I (we) couldn’t seem to get them under control. So, laying in bed thanking Him for helping me keep my temper under control and not letting me go to jail 
. Talking to him about how bad they were all this week… then it happens. God reminds me of the best part of my week and I must share but first let me give you a little bit of the background.
I was assigned the “best” job during lunch and that is (drum roll) LUNCH DETENTION. You know, the kids who have missed behave and continue to get into trouble come and see me for 30 minutes of their day. They sit and eat lunch that usually consist of a bag of hot Cheetos’s, healthy I know! In a square white room with tables that are squished together. We are all basically stacked up on each and it isn’t the best place but it works. One day I decided to start reading a book to them that I had been studying. It’s called “Crazy love”, if you haven’t read that it is a MUST! Anyways, it talks about God’s love for us but it breaks it down almost to mind blowing talking about how small we are in this universe and the thought process behind the way we think. The kids really enjoyed it, in fact MANY came back the next day even when they didn’t have lunch detention! It was EPIC. I continue to get a student that just leans into the room and ask if I am reading so he can hear. Every now and again I’ll read a devotion to them and let them soak it in, even the ones that are annoyed by my reading or who don’t “care” they still get to hear how much Jesus loves them because they are stuck! haha
BTW, I do teach at a public school. Am I suppose to be doing this? ehh… probably not but HEY I am leaving the country so it’s all good. Report me if you’d like 
So, onto this past week. It happened a couple of days ago. Two boys walk in, sit down and I start playing a worship song that my church is going to play this week. I start singing to the lyrics, they start smirking and giggling. I don’t really know why? My voice is like an angel from heaven, EVERY Toole can sing you know?! Anyways, I turn down the music and ask them just bluntly, “Hey, you a Christian?” pointing to one boy. He tells me “yeah.” plain as day nothing to exciting in his voice. Then I turn to the other boy, who knew the question I was going to ask him because he almost answered before I could ask. ” Yeah, Coach Toole! Who doesn’t say ‘YES’ to that question?” in a very sarcastic tone. I told them “No, really! Do you love Jesus?” both nodded one said he goes to church. I told them, “You would be surprised at the amount of kids around you that don’t know Jesus.” They looked at me like, “lady you don’t know what you are talking about”. So about this same time, in God’s perfect timing, another boy walked in. Now there are three of them. The new boy takes a seat right next to me. I turn and obviously I ask “Hey, are you a christian?”. The other boys heads are down, stuffing cheetos in their mouths not paying much attention to me and the new boys conversation. However, when the boy replies “No.” they sat up REAL quick and their eyes were the size of golf balls I swear to it!
You know, we live in the “Bible belt” and I think we take it for granted that every person here has heard of Jesus, not God, Jesus. Because there is a BIG difference now a days with God and Jesus. Yes, there is only ONE God but the Muslims think that too. I believe that not enough people are talking about Jesus. Some things you might hear out in public or something that comes up in casual convo that someone might over hear ( A child perhaps) are as followed. “I prayed to God last night”, “God, help me!”, “Oh God”, ” Dear God, what has happened?”, ” My God”, ” Did God really do that?!”, “God is love.”, “God will help you.” “God bless America.”
That’s just a few, I think you caught my drifted. So, it’s not a bad thing that we say those things however, you don’t hear much about Jesus.
So, this kid sitting there, in this white room with these boys now focused FULLY on what I am about to say and do and honestly they are caught off guard. I say “So, you don’t believe in Jesus”
“No.” He’s red faced now and his head is looking down to the ground.
“There is no reason to be embarrassed, SORRY, I don’t mean to embarrass you. So, do you believe in God?” I say.
“Yes.”
“So, you believe in a God then? What God?”
“I don’t know.”, he says and looks at me this time.
I honestly can see the confusion in his eyes. This boy really doesn’t know what to believe.
“So, who created the world? who created the sky? The birds and all the animals?” I said.
“The Big Bang.” he said it very confidently this time.
“So… Who created you?” I ask.
“God.”
I began to see he is very confused on what to believe. In the public school we teach about the big bang theory not about God creating the Heavens and the earth. I began to realize that he has never been taught about Jesus or who he is. The only way he has probably heard about “God” is in the form of how he has heard people out in public say it. And the only way he has heard about how the earth was formed was because that is the only thing he has been taught.
I continue with, “So, God made you. A person who thinks, breathes and can run without having to plug into something?”
“Coach Toole, I don’t know.”
We all sit there for a second and then IT HAPPENS. He says ” What do you believe in?”
At this point I have a HUGE smile on my face. I shared with him the LOVE of God and how he sent Jesus down here to earth. How God sacrificed his own son named Jesus that we could live for eternity in heaven with Him when we die but you first have to ask him into your heart. I explained kinda why God sent Jesus.
The entire time he was focused on me and what I was saying. He was absorbing it like a sponge. By the time I was done he had asked questions like, “So, when I cuss is that a sin?”, gave me the opportunity to talk about scripture. Is what you are saying uplifting people. Your tongue is a weapon. He asked if I prayed every night? gave me the opportunity to talk about human flesh and Jesus grace and mercy. At the end of our conversation, the bell had rung and kids were loud outside the door. He did not care. He wanted to know more. I told him he could pray and ask Jesus into his heart. He has to believe what I was saying is true and start building a relationship with God by talking to him. The hardest part is changing how you live but with God’s help it’s SO much easier.
Although we did not pray right then. I believe he went home that night and had a conversation with God. The God who created the universe. The God who sent His son Jesus to show us how to live as a human being and who died for us on the cross. The God who stays with you and never leave. The God who sent his Holy spirit to live and breathe inside of us and must importantly a God who LOVES us unconditionally.
I can NOT wait to spread this love to people in the 10/40 window. The more I research about the people there the more I get antsy. I get butterfly’s, I get googly eyed and I want to just start my journey now. However, when I look back on this week. I now know that there are PLENTY of people here that don’t know Jesus. I have just got to keep seeking God and keep looking for opportunities to tell people. Even in the “Bible belt” I can tell you that these kids and even adults have not heard about JESUS. They don’t understand because they have not been to church and all they hear is what is out there.
PLEASE look around. SEE people and encounter them with a loving spirit. Walk around speaking words that edify God. You never know who is listening. MOST IMPORTANTLY, LOOK for someone and an opportunity to share Jesus with. I promise you it will be SO awkward but I can ALSO promise you that you could be encouraged because they DO know him and they speak life into you, or they DON’T know him and you can speak life into them.
This is MUCH longer than I had wanted it to be. SORRY! I hope at least some of you read it. I love you all very much and Jesus loves you more than you can ever imagine. Sometimes we get caught up in how terrible our week/day was and thank him for keeping us out of jail but we miss what is really important.
Love, Brittani
