Sunday, Sunday

Sunday, Sunday. Biting cold outside, but warm enough inside to sweat as I run after children. Goofy songs and fourth graders who extract payment for last week's absence by leaning against me and borrowing ponytails to play with each other's hair during story. High schoolers who weren't on retreat but want to talk about what they've heard, even as children shush us when the clock rolls over and it's time to sing. 

Fifth grade smiles as we talk about the story and fourth graders bright with star stickers as they puzzle through a verse on their own, studying about this Jesus. 

Brief greetings with high schoolers who will forever carry Haiti in their eyes. Leaders' meeting, gaga ball, and a sixth grader's scolding when I step out to watch instead. Kids from school who are suddenly at church and twelve year olds who can not comprehend that I would willingly be anywhere second hour besides here, with them. 

Link tag, gold stars to sixth graders to finish a longstanding joke, and gaga ball again, until everyone's gone home, even the one who wanted me to be able to watch kids at his care group and is trying not to care that I can't. 

Perspectives' childcare. Tag and Danish Rounders. Coloring pages and fruit snacks and listening in on music practice for Sunday PM. 

Dinner in the car and iNTERSECT. High schoolers with plans to do anything in the morning besides go to school. Talking about #change and a senior girl who curls into my side, because our breakout room is cold. Red hands, tempera paint, laughter, and willing hearts. The smell of cookies and bonfire. Sinks splattered with the pink of a dozen hands and a drive to deliver a freshman home. 

It's January, and we've finally fallen into a pattern, a rhythm. There's a dance to the way that we split off the fourth graders and the timing that we use to switch them back. There's a place under the stairs and a piece of hallway that they have run back and forth since September. 

There's a schedule to Perspectives and certain things that always are in Ignite. 

It's January, and we need that rhythm, because they're still just off of holidays and just back to school, just through finals, and just walking into another long weekend. And, their lives are all kinds of sideways and upside down. 

So, we do Sundays.