I don’t like kids
Kids. When i think of kids i think of snotty noses and abrasive little people. They’re clingy and dependent and, to me, downright annoying. So, when i found out ministry in Swaziland would be children’s ministry for 3 straight months, i was ecstatic…not.
Let me break down what children’s ministry looks like. My team and i roll up to our carepoint at 11 AM. A care point is a little building in each community that serves the purpose of feeding and caring for the kids. Dusty ground. Blue and white building. 5-star playground. Little kids running around.
We hop out and make a plan for the day. This may include house visits, cleaning, planning a lesson, or some other random activity. The day always always includes playing with up to 50 children, ages 1-16. So, from the morning until evening we pretty much just play with kids and love them.
Loving them may look different for every child. For some, a long hug and is silence is more than enough. For others, dancing and singing is how you relate. For every child, though, a true caring heart and genuine smile can show them that you love them. A lot of these kids don’t get that at home, and we are invited to share Jesus’ love with them in any way that they can understand.
I really thought i would hate it. Honestly, i kind of even tried to hate it. Like, seriously, kids? I’ve never been a kid person and everybody knows it. But surprise, i don’t hate it. I don’t hate it at all, actually. When we take that bumpy bus ride to ministry every morning, i actually get excited. To see those snotty little faces and talk to those abrasive little people. Yes, it’s hard sometimes. Yes, i get tired. But i can see the light in those little eyes that says they just wanna be loved. They just want to be hugged. They just want to be cared for.
Ive found that God is a god that will change your heart to align with His plans for you. No, i may not naturally like kids, but God does. No, i may not naturally be the most gentle person, but God is. I may not be able to handle being a human jungle gym every day to 50 little Swazi kids, but God can. Leaning into God and drawing my energy from Him has allowed me to love them even when it’s hard.
We’ve been doing children’s ministry for 3 weeks now. I’m falling in love with it. Being able to love those small people with the love of Jesus, it’s opening my eyes. I want the best for them and i want the best of them. Jesus is alive and loving them-and i can feel it so much at the carepoint. So, I’ve decided that it isn’t that i don’t like kids, i don’t like not loving them.
