The Thing about Serving

For the past five years, I have had a job teaching preschoolers at Kingdom Kids. I love kids, and the job is a good fit for me. But eleven years before I began teaching preschoolers for a living, I started teaching two-year-olds in Sunday school every weekend. Up to that point, I had put in my time on the rotation in the nursery; sixteen years ago was when I started thinking of teaching Sunday school as a ministry. Some might wonder what has kept me coming back, week after week, for sixteen years. Every Sunday, I see children crying, both from separation sadness and from toddler “disagreements” about toy ownership. There are messy diapers to change, as well as soaked clothing on potty-training children. There are occasional bites, sometimes on me and sometimes on other children. There are spills, both of water and of whatever snack we serve.  These are all facts of life with the little ones. It might seem that my hour and a half with them is just crowd control, making sure they all make it out alive.

Abby, one of my two's from a long time ago

But it isn’t that at all. It is an hour and a half of loving on each other. I enter the room at about 10:15 and begin by saying hi to each child there. I call them by name. Many of them I know, but I check the nametags of those I don’t know, so I can call them by name as well. I talk to them about their fast shoes or their cute hair ribbons. I ask if they want to build a road or read a book with me. I comfort children as they enter the room, sometimes hesitantly. I sit on the floor or on a very small chair, and we play together for about half an hour. They snuggle in on my lap and begin telling me stories. Then we pick up toys together. I gather the children around me as I tell the group a Bible story. I have been using the same curriculum for a lot of years. I get a special exemption and am allowed to continue using my old, tried and true stories and story boards that I have grown to love. After our Bible story, we do a small craft and then we eat a small snack. Once all of those things are done, we go back to playing for about 15 to 20 minutes, during which time I check diapers and take kids to the bathroom. Then we pick up toys one final time to sing some songs together. The “regulars” know and love the routine. They help me choose the songs. They shout out the animals that Old MacDonald has on his farm. As the children are picked up by their parents, I thank them for playing with me.

Routine and structure are important to the little ones. Seeing a familiar face every Sunday is also important. It gives them something, SOMEONE to anchor themselves to in a sea of unfamiliar faces. This past Sunday, our Early Childhood Coordinator brought a couple of children up front during the 9:00 service to make a plea for more volunteers down in KidCity on the weekends. One of those little ones was in the arms of our senior pastor, but I saw her eyes searching the congregation for a port in the storm. As I sat in the front row, her eyes met mine. She was one of my students from last year. She waved. I smiled and waved back. What else could I do? She needed me.

Most of the children I serve forget me by the time they are four. A few remember me longer, and continue to give me hugs and make my day for several years after leaving my Sunday school classroom. Whether they remember me or not, they know me and count on me for the year they are mine. I count it a privilege to have the opportunity to be there for them week after week.

What has kept me serving for sixteen years is what I expect will keep me serving for sixteen more. You just can’t outgive God. Serve and be blessed.