To My Sunday School Kids: Part Five

K: You came in this spring, absolutely terrified of getting lost in such a big church with so many people. We kept you close and slowly drew you out of your shell. (Okay. We also might have thrown a few chunks of donuts at you, but, hey, we got a smile.) Watch out, or you're going to have an awful lot of girls chasing after that sweet smile of yours. You shook like a leaf when I first brought you into middle school group, couldn't even remember your parents' names past the stress. But, I've been in your shoes, kiddo, and, believe me, you have the power to change the world.

JN: Not to use the same adjective for so many very different kids, but, you, ma'am, are determined. It rushes off of you in waves, the sense that you are not going to stop until you've got it right - even if right is something that only you can see. You pop in and out like a natural, but, unlike some of the other kids in our group, you're not here because you need us. You're simply here because you can be. We're glad, though, that you've decided to grace us with the gift of your presence, and we wouldn't trade you for anything.

SH: You and JN are my little peas in a pod. Every time I turn around, you're there, holding onto the tail of my shirt and just bopping along like it is the most natural thing in the world. You're just like that, always smiling, always happy on the outside - and almost always happy on the inside too. You don't need us either. But, we need your sunshine just like we need JN's determination. Without even realizing it, you fill in some of the gaps and the hurt places that the other kids have, and you make us better. 

J: This hasn't been an easy year for you, but, ever so s.l.o.w.l.y, we are starting to see the ghost of a smile touch your lips, and your eyes slip up more often to meet mine, like you're no longer afraid of the connection. Even though they rarely hear your voice or catch your gaze, there is something about you that makes the other kids pay attention. When you're gone, it's like we reversed gravity and forgot to tell them. Someday, J, you are going to do things so big that you surprise even yourself.