When I came back from Argentina I thought I was coming back to work as a children’s minister for a church that I love. But really;
God sent me home to introduce a 6 old little boy to Christ.
Leading up to the time that I went home I was going through an interview process at a church. I had talked to several of the members, who indicated to me that there was a good chance I was going to be their minister. I was so pumped. It was so easy. I would go home, and have a great job just waiting for me.
The day after I returned home I went for my last interview. After my interview I chatted with a few of my good friends from the church about the job. They were asking me if I really wanted to settle down so quickly. Then I went and spent time with my brother. He talked to me about listening and following the Holy Spirit. After talking with those three people I “knew” that I wasn’t going to get this job. Sure enough, I didn’t. But that was alright; I felt peace and knew that God was leading me to something else.
For the next month I prayed about and researched different options. During the whole summer I only found 2 openings for children’s ministers. Almost all of the social work jobs that I found required a master’s degree and 2 years experience.
After 3 weeks I randomly received an email from a babysitter's website that I hadn’t signed up for. It was advertising a summer nanny position for a family with 3 children. I sent them my resume and the day after had an interview.
At the interview I learned that they weren’t Christians and that they lived 2 blocks from my church.
That weekend I was supposed to hear whether or not I had the job. I didn’t hear from them within the time frame that they gave me and so I didn’t think that I had the job. However I went to church and during the whole service God was telling me that I needed to tell them about Him. And I was saying, “But how?! I didn’t get the job!!!” Well as it turns out, they called and I got the job. So I started babysitting for them.
About 45 hours a week I hung out with the kids. There were many weeks when I only had the little 6 year old boy. We played ninjas, Monopoly, tag, and swam…you know the normal stuff. Their parents told me that I could answer any questions about God. However they never asked and so I just played with them.
In July my church was having their VBS. I was nervous to ask the parents if I could take the kids. But, finally by Thursday I worked up the nerve to ask. I asked their dad and he said that they probably couldn’t go, but that he would talk about it with his wife.
My Mom and I prayed all night that they would come. But I thought for sure the answer would be no.
The next day I asked their mom if they had decided whether or not the kids could go. She said that it was okay for them to go because it gave the kids something to do. So on Monday we went. The girls hated it but the little boy liked it.
The second day the little girls went to their friend’s house while the little boy and I went to VBS again. During VBS there is a time where the kids are invited to go up to the stage and sing and dance to the songs that they had learned. The little boy went up front and sang one of the songs. He was trying so hard and you could see it in his face that the Holy Spirit was working. My mom and I were both really excited!
Well the rest of the summer went by quickly. By the end the little boy and I were best buds! We NEVER discussed God, we just played and played.
The last week that I was with the little boy he started saying things like, “Audrey, did you know that God loves cats?” Every day he made comments about what God likes and about who He is. We were driving in my car on the last day and the little boy asked me, “Audrey, does God like the devil?” After this question he asked me a series of questions about God and what He does. In five minutes I completely explained to him the basic concepts of who God is and how we can follow Him. I explained to him things like that God takes care of us, that He saves us, loves us, and protects us. Throughout this conversation he kept saying things like, “Yeah God is good” and “God loves me.” Also my mom was sick and we were on our way to get her from the doctor’s office. He said, “Yeah and God sent the doctors to make your mom better.”
The truths that he was saying were profound. As far as I know no one had been talking to him about Christ. He has never been taught about the Bible other than the 2 days at VBS.
It was the Spirit working through me that showed this precious little boy who Christ is. I didn’t even have to do anything. That little boy now knows Christ. God is his friend. He has a hope that he didn’t have before. I believe that God will continue working in his life. I believe that God has great plans for this little boy and for his family. I am so thankful that God sent me home to introduce Christ to a 6 year old little boy.
But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?” Matthew 21:15-16
And this was just the start of things…
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