New Eyes

Many know that I began teaching Sunday school this summer. I teach the 5th and 6th graders at Brookside Community Church. When Aaron began pastoring the inner city church I was dead set against being placed in Children's Ministry. Partially, because I was teaching monday - friday and I was trying to go against the grain of the typical pastors wife. Well, the spirit moved me this summer, and I am now teaching sunday school ...

A few weeks ago I was completely struggling, I lamented to Aaron that I was working way out of my gifting. I have a complete curriculum guide, 52 lessons from Genesis to Revelation, so it should be easy - right? It has been a slow start ... but after my confession of struggling things really began to get better. Starting with the lesson on the Noah ... but when we got to the Tower of Babel, that was a BLAST - we built towers using gummy bears and toothpicks (not very easy) ... also we began scripture memory with "prizes". They get rewards for being able to verbally recite the verse and reference then a second reward for being able to write the verse from memory ... and bonus rewards for the previous weeks verse. The class dynamic has changed - they are listening, building, memorizing and building on stories.

This weekend, we were learning about Sacrifice, Abraham and Isaac ... my eyes saw the story in a completely new light, a new perspective, which happened during the lesson.

I was teaching from Genesis 22: 1-13, Abraham obeys God and is willing to sacrifice his son. Most of us know this story. As a class we talked about things we treasure and what it would be like to have to give up those treasures. It was a good discussion. As we read the story out loud, I began to see the story through Isaac's eyes ... I have personally always looked at this story from Abraham's eyes and his willingness to obey the Lord. To take his promised son to the mountain as a sacrifice. Never taking into consideration that Isaac would probably have been about the same age as the kids in my class, fully capable of saying no, or being able to over power his "old" father.

But Isaac trusted his earthly father and his Heavenly Father. He showed the type of obedience we expect out of our young people today. Our discussion in the class shifted to Isaac's willingness to obey and show absolute trust to his earthly father and his Heavenly Father. I was blown away. Not sure my kiddos were - but wow I can not stop thinking about it. What a revelation. We had a great discussion about obeying adults that we know are walking with the Lord ... it was good.

They will continue the talk on sacrifice this Sunday, without me - but I know Miss Cassie will do an awesome job.

Love these NEW EYES!

GRACE AND PEACE!