Lives Changed, Hearts Opened

I'm a youth worker from Iowa and recently brought my students to Week of Hope in Grand Rapids, MI.

We had one student come who really has never engaged in her faith but always comes to youth group. This was her first trip. One of the places that this girl served during our week in Grand Rapids was at the Y. She has said forever that she doesn’t like kids, she doesn’t connect with little kids.

Well, while she was at the Y, this little boy walked up and asked if she would sit and have lunch with him. She did and then got to work with him after lunch. He said to her at the end of the day, “I’ll see you tomorrow and Thursday,” to which she replied that she wouldn’t be back, that she had to go someplace else. He looked at her with sad eyes and said to her, “But who will eat lunch with me?”

That night they were doing their devotions and she told their group about her day. She began to cry… a lot. She was so upset that she couldn’t go back and work with that little boy. We knew this was a God Sighting - that she does have the heart for little kids and this helped her to understand that she is worthy of God’s love.