I heart these girls. It has been a joy, and privilege to do life on life with them. During our after school program we meet three days a week for cheer practice. During that time, we work on cheers of course, but also, what it means to be healthy physically, good eating habits,( basically I spend time telling them to stay away from the CANDY LADY-lol- I mean really, they will drink like 10 Guzzlers in a day) and bible passages that deal with character and working together.
Through Cheer leading, God has given me relationships with Grandparents, Mothers, Fathers and a very intimate look into the lives of many of these girls. Out of all the girls you see, three have fathers at home, only two are living in families where their parents are married and living for the Lord. One had her mother murdered by her boyfriend. Others are being brought up by grandparents because mom isn't around. These girls are in some very tough situations, but in all, they show up at our center with BIG smiles on their faces, happy to see us all and each other. We are a family, we are not trying to make up for the family they have, we are just extended it and they LOVE it. I will say, my parents who are involved are the BEST. They come along side of me from time to time and will try to reaffirm the best way they know how all the things we learn throughout the week. I love that. We just had our first fund raiser for our team that a mom helped me with and she helped us raise over $1000! The girls were so thrilled. In all our fun, and work, I make sure they always remember who and what this is all about.Our team verse for this year is Colossians 3:23 that says:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men....
God has used this verse tremendously in my heart and I am, I really am seeing Him work in their hearts. Those who know me, know I heart "older woman", "younger woman" relationships. I have the joy to invest in the next generation of wives, moms, career women, and for some grandparents. What I show and tell them about Christ will have an impact that is too high for me to understand. What the LORD WILL DO with all they learn is to lofty for me to understand. IT gives me goose bumps to think about what the LORD can accomplish through them. As I minister to them, I am being changed. God's work in them is saving me from my selfishness, and worldliness. I pray these girls will not conform any longer to the patterns of the hood. I pray this is the generation that teen pregnancy, drug abuse, and domestic violence will no longer show its ugly face. I can see it yall, I have HOPE!
Lets hope and pray together
