Last Thursday, I caught a few elementary kids throwing rocks through our office’s front door. It’s one of the joys of working next to a school. I asked them why, and it turns out, they will usually knock on our board member’s window in the back of the building after school. He will make funny faces at the kids or give them snacks. He hadn’t answered their taps (because he was gone), so they tried the front door. Finding it unlocked, they started making sound and doing things to try to get attention….like throwing rocks.
After holding back a laugh, I had them clean up the rocks, and they apologized. They loaded into a van with Grandma and drove away.
The next day, the group wanted a tour. I gave them a quick one since I had a meeting. The kids were fascinated by the photos around the office – “You work with kids in prison?” and “You run water games?” At the rear of the office, Grandma joined us, worried the kids were bothering me.
We reached the front of the office, and our office manager presented them each with a mint. Suddenly, Grandma shooed them all outside and said she needed to talk to me. Her face looked tight and urgent; I was worried I’d said something to upset her.
“You work with kids in prison?” she asked. I nodded and she explained that her adult son is in federal prison, and she wanted mental health resources for him when he is released soon. I almost laughed again – of course, God would work it out this way! Through our ministry partners, I was able to give her some referrals.
As Grandma left, the middle school cousin, Amanda*, asked if she could talk to me. She sat down on our couch and before I could ask a single question, she blurted out, “I think I’m close to God, but I have trouble reading the Bible in my app.”
“Oh,” I said, “You need a paper Bible?” She nodded. “We can definitely help with that.”
As I looked for one for her, I asked Amanda about her relationship with God. She’s going to a Catholic church and is currently going through confirmation. “I just wish I knew if I was really a Christian.”
“I can’t definitely help you with that, too!” I said. I took the Bible I had just given her, and we looked at Romans 10:9. I walked her through the Romans Road, and she understood and believed all of it.
“Have you ever told God that you believe these things?” I asked.
“No!” Amanda said.
“Would you like to do that right now?”
“Sure!”
So sweet little Amanda prayed right there to receive Jesus as her Savior! We wrote the day in her Bible so she won’t forget her spiritual birthday. I gave her my contact info, too, so she could ask for help. She stopped by again this week and told me she is reading the Psalms and loving them.
At YFC, we love going after the kids who are hard to reach because we know many give up on them early on. But sometimes, God just drops a young person in your lap who is ready to receive him. That was the case on Friday, and I’m so glad I got to be the one at the YFC office – and I’m so thankful for our board member making funny faces at some pesky elementary kids!
Johanna Ralsten-Cox
Ministries Director
*name has been changed
