I have been a discipleship group (D-Group) leader for the last two years for middle school girls at Los Angeles Christian School. It has been a huge catalyst of growth for me since I spend the majority of my life with kindergarteners who need help tying shoes, have trouble following multi-step directions, and are still learning basic vocabulary. Middle schoolers are in such an interesting phase of life where they are figuring out their identities, they actually start to like the opposite gender, and everything is completely dramatic!
Since my last D-Group graduated eighth grade and moved on to high school last year, I was blessed with a brand new, fresh group of sixth graders! Let me tell you, the difference between an eighth grade girl and a sixth grade girl is alarming. It was quite an adjustment the first week. I was pleased to find how eager they were to hang out outside of school! When they heard me mention that Felipe (my husband) would be out of town for the World Impact Men’s Retreat for the whole weekend, they immediately shouted, “We should have a sleepover! Oh please, please, please!” So of course I said yes!
The girls arrived and we immediately began going through all of their loot that each one had brought – movies, games, juices, chips, the works! It was surprising how much junk they could fit inside their tiny backpacks. We made a picnic in the middle of the floor and ate pizza while we watched the newest version of Annie. Even before it ended the girls begged to be able to make the brownies I had bought for us. As we brought out that 9 x 13 pan of chocolatey goodness, I imagined we would be stuffing all four of our faces until they were completely gone. That’s where I was wrong.
After eating only one brownie, the girls asked if they could put the rest in bags with encouraging notes and deliver them to the other people who live in our apartment complex. I was astonished at their generosity and selflessness! They got busy right away, and they got so much joy out of going down the halls at 10:00 at night taping mysterious brownie bags to people’s doors. My favorite part was when they began to pray over each household by placing their hands on the door and doing “popcorn prayer”– their idea yet again, not mine.
I am thankful to be challenged by such young ladies who think of others before themselves and who seek to honor the Lord with the way they love in even the simplest of ways.
