I spend a lot of time with children. I have been babysitting ever since I was old enough to, I have worked at camps, daycares, nurseries, and nanny agencies. I love kids! Since I graduated this past December, I have been working for a local nanny agency full time until I leave for the World Race. I have always known that I have a heart for children, but I feel like lately God has grown my heart for them, taught me so much, and humbled me by their love. There are two particual children God has been using in my life right now to draw me closer to Himself. Their names are Raquel and Lucas. Raquel is four years old and Lucas is two years old. They are bi-lingual (Spanish and English) and they are ADORABLE. Not only are they cute, and bi-lingual, but they also love the Lord! Lucas has a little guitar, and he likes to sit on the front porch and strum his guitar (really loud!) and sing praise and worship songs with a pacifier in his mouth. Raquel likes to sing right along with him. Sometimes, we will be playing outside and Raquel will look at me and say “Colleen, today I want to walk in the light of the Lord” (she likes to take parts of her favorite worship songs and use them in sentences). I could go on and on about how much I adore these children and all the cute moments we have had this year…but there is one specific moment I want to share. I will never forget this, because it sticks out to me as one of my favorite moments with the Lord.
I spend part of the morning with Raquel and Lucas and then I take them to pre-school for a couple hours, pick them up, and spend the rest of the day with them. One day, I had a worship CD on in the car on the way to pre-school. Raquel yelled out “I love this song! We sing this at church!” and Lucas had a big smile on his face with his pacifier hanging out. As the song began, Raquel and Lucas started clapping and singing. As I drove, we were all singing “Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades…Neverending, Your glory goes beyond all fame…and the cry of my heart is bring You praise from the inside out, Lord my soul cries out…..” As we’re all singing together and having fun, my heart was overwhelmed. This specific morning before I went over to their house, I had a heavy heart and was really hurting due to some rough circumstances. And as we drove to pre-school, I felt God’s presence as we were singing and praising Him. As the song continued, the lyrics went “You’re will above all else, my purpose remains,
the art of losing myself in bringing You praise…My heart and my soul, I give you control..consume me from the inside out, Lord…”. Tears filled my eyes as I meant every word I was singing to my Father, while hearing the sweet voices of two young kids who so sincerely love the same Father. I looked in the rearview mirror as the chorus repeated and all I saw was little Lucas’ hand in the air, reaching up to God as he praised Him. I can’t put into words what went on in my heart at that moment. I felt like the world stopped and it was just the Lord, Lucas, Raquel, and I. I still get chills thinking about that moment. It was a glimpse of Heaven, and I cling to it in my difficult moments. The idea of
the art of losing myself made so much more sense that day. The Lord reminded me that morning “Colleen, stop focusing on all this hard stuff in your life, and just focus on ME.” I am humbled by Raquel and Lucas’ love for God, and I desire more and more to have that kind of love and excitement for Him as they do. My prayer is for more of Him, and less of me.
