I came on the race expecting to see miracles. To see the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see and more. Our squad has seen all of this and more, yet what God is teaching me during this season is that there is just as much value in the ways God moves that you can’t see as there are in the miracles.
The reality is that sometimes–many times–we’re not going to see the miracle we prayed for in the ways we expect. We may not see the sick person we pray for instantaneously healed. We may not see the person we prayed for come to Christ. Many times, we are the ones planting the seed.
While I often struggled with this reality at the beginning of the race (I wanted to see results!), God has been teaching me throughout the race, and particularly this month, that planting the seed is just as valuable as reaping the harvest.
Last week we went to English Bible Camp in Petrodolina, Ukraine. We spent one last week in our tents (never expected to enjoy tenting, but we all loved having “our own rooms”).
I partnered with one of the missionaries from America and assisted him in teaching a class of 12-year-olds for the week. We had one week to teach them English, to teach them about Jesus, and ultimately, to be a living example of Christ’s love.
Given my Teach For America experience, where my students and my classroom were focused on academic achievement and results, and consequently misbehavior wasn’t accceptable, I had to continually remind myself throughout the week I was not teaching in St. Louis. We weren’t trying to achieve 80% mastery of standards. This was not about getting my students to college. And I wasn’t the one in control.
This week was about planting God’s seeds. He would take care of the rest.
This week was about being the most enthusiastic one singing during music time. This week was about walking arm and arm with my girls as we walked from class to snack time to sports time and crafts. This week was about making a connection with each child. It was about smiling and loving every child despite how they acted that day. It was about telling them how proud I was of them after they performed their drama, even though it wasn’t at the level I had hoped it would be.
This week was about living out Christ’s grace and love.
I don’t know how much English my students learned last week. I don’t know if or when they will come to know Christ. There is nothing this week that I could quantify as I did in my own classroom. The results of this week are left unknown.
What I do know is that seeds were planted. Love was given. And as we returned “home” to Odessa and began our street ministry, I opened my ears to God, put aside my expectations, and listened to what He had to say.
Look out for part two to read about Team Zion’s week of street ministry
