Honesty Pants

So, instead of 8th & 9th graders . . . I got some pretty rad THIRD GRADERS!

Wait a second. The last time I hung out with a third grader was when I was in third grade. I'm in SECONDARY education major. Elementary? Not exactly my forte. Tears? Not a sympathic bone in my body. So what if someone took your silly band? I don't care if you are in the third grade! There's not crying here! (hahaha. ok just kidding. but you get the idea.)

But . . . it was also very cool. At the beginning of the week I had prayed that the Lord would show me what it looks like to have faith like a child, love like a child, and as Matthew 18:1-6 says, "humble yourself like a child, be sincere in heart"

So cool, because the Lord showed me that through these little daughters of the King. He showed me what I do to Him...

One of the activities in this thing called a 'Spider Web'. Check it out here....

It's pretty rad. But when my cabin was doing it for activity one day, two girls were almost to top and got scared and I had the privilege of helping them get to the stop for about an hour and half. It was good fun. But through the tears, and the clenched fists, we made it to the top! During this adventure, one of my girls was clinging to the side and wouldn't let go. She was so afraid she was going to fall through (which is impossible). I said to her, "Girlfriend, you're going to have to let go so we can get you over here and to the top. Do you trust me?"

Her response?

She shook her head and said, "No".

And it was like I got hit by a ton of bricks.

I finally understand what I do to the Lord.

In my life, I tell the Lord that I don't trust Him when I have absolutely no reason not to.

That day painted such a beautiful picture of God's love and grace. The Spider Web is like life - the black ties are like the sin in my life- they keep me from reaching the top. I get about halfway, and I quit and just sit and cry. Jesus is there, helping me the entire way, coaching me along. But I hold so tight to the things that aren't of Him, and say directly, "I don't trust you."

I'm that third grader, afraid to fall through. I'm afraid to reach out and put my trust in Him.

Which is the silliest thing I could ever do.

Prayer for this week?

That I can reach out to Him and say, "Yes, Jesus. I trust You."

And that will be reflected in my life, in my decisions, in my actions, in my words.

I suppose we are all on the Spider Web of life. It's just a matter of who we trust to help us to the top.

WEEK 7, GO HARD!