So we spent the weekend in Morristown. We left Saturday morning and when we got to Morristown, we were divided into groups for service projects. Some went to VBS, some to set up house arrangements and band stuff. I went to serve at Hope and Thrive, which is a school for disabilities. We meant them at a Farmers Market and got out and started walking around. I went up to a few of the students and then got introduced to Alisha (one of the students). We ended up walking around to all the different stands. Looking at what they had, we talked about knitting because she had bought some yarn. Before we started some songs, she wanted some cotton candy, so I went with her while she grabbed grape cotton candy. We then went to worship and sing, Alisha was resistant to sing or dance. So I stood by her dancing, she started laughing every time I would sing “hide it under a bushel, No, I’m gonna let it shine,” which would then make me also laugh. After we sang some songs we got to go get ice cream with them and play some games. When we were there Alisha and I started acting out different animals. I would make her guess then she would make me guess.
After awhile everyone was joined in. We did group charades for awhile. I had the best time, getting to see each of the students act out different characters or animals, seeing the joy on their face filled me. I can’t express how joyful I felt. I felt like the Lord had given me a glimpse of the love he feels for these students. It was a blessing, I can testify to being so present, not thinking about anything else or what was going to happen at the end of the day or what had happened earlier. It was because the Lord was truly near to me and he had filled me with a joy to serve.
Earlier that day I had thought about a verse talking about different gifting the Lord gives people, and I was praying that the Lord reveal to me the ways that I can help God’s kingdom. For him to reveal the gifts he’s given me, through this process on internship where we are being stretched and pulled and putting ourselves before the feet of Jesus. Romans 12:6-8, and I feel like the Lord helped me to see a gifting I have. He helped me to remember how I got to work with special needs students in a classroom junior year of high school for 6 months. Being with the students I just wanted to stay with them, to show them how loved they are to continue in the games we were playing to be a gentle and loving person in their life. I was so thankful for getting to meet them, and it is my hope to go back and get to serve them again, because they bring such joy to people.