awesome...

...does not adequately describe today in the life of mo.

woke up late this morning, took a late shower, stopped for a late breakfast on the way to arriving late for Rooted (sunday school).

walked into Rooted to find my youth shooting their own version of MJ's Thriller video. hysterical. played a few serves of ping pong with some of the boys, then settled in to study the word of God. as noted in a previous post, today's topic was choices, tackled using the story of Jacob's stealing Esau's blessing (Genesis 27). as usual, we started by reading through the story and recapping its events. then, we moved into discussion of what God had to say to us through this passage this morning. that's when the awesome happened.

first, a little background: for two and a half years, my coworkers and i have prayed that our youth would know God and His word. Even the few whose parents attend church have demonstrated impressively little knowledge of the Bible, so i began in Rooted to teach through the stories of the Bible, the stories i have always taken for granted, having been taught them since my days in the church nursery. the going has been very slow and often discouraging. i have several times tweaked my style while always striving to remain true to the goal of teaching God's word just for what it has to say, very little fluff or commentary, allowing God to speak for Himself. often, i have felt no one was listening. today, God proved that feeling wrong.

everything we have been praying for and working for with our youth in Rooted happened today. as we discussed Jacob's story and its application to our lives, the students (all middle schoolers, almost all from un-churched families) began, without prompting, to quote other scripture and to reference other Bible stories that were relevant to today's topic. i sat speechless and in awe as God spoke through and to His youth.

why am i surprised when God does God-sized things? that's just what He does. over and over. but, as an unworthy vessel being used in His master plan, i will never cease to be amazed at what He does.

Rooted ended when, before i even asked, one of the youth raised his hand and asked, "can i pray?" my "of course!" was followed by one of the most beautiful, most sincere prayers ever to have been uttered in that room.

nope... awesome just doesn't cut it.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (eph 3.20-21)
-mo