Supporters

Throughout the week our classes have been thinking about reaching our dreams, big dreams. We have read many stories with characters who dream big and eventually reach their dreams, people like Michael Jordan and Chris Paul. Yesterday we talked about people in our lives who help us reach our big dreams, our supporters. We talked about what a supporter was, I gave examples of supporters in my life, and we talked about the stories we had read and the supporters in their lives. So by this point in the lesson they knew exactly what kind of characteristics a supporter embodies.

As a follow-up to the lesson they were to think of three supporters in their life, draw a picture of them, and explain why they are supporters. For me, it is easy to list three, four, five, six supporters in my life and I envisioned it being the same for my little friends.

However, it was not the same. I have 19 children in my class, two of them came up to me and could not think of three supporters in their life. Now, for one of them I am not sure he fully understood the definition of a supporter, however, the other definitely did. It was after these two moments, moments of heartbreak (two moments that just about brought me to tears), that I stopped the class and explained how their teachers would always support them in their future endeavors. I, we, support, love, and care for them and they needed to hear that, especially the two who couldn't think of people outside of school who truly support them.

It is in these type of moments where I find myself questioning WHY? Why, at the age of 5, 6, and 7, do these kids not know who supports them? WHY? I can come up with only one conclusion...this world is broken. This world is broken, yet the evil one, that son of a gun, has been defeated. Praise! And what are we to do, as a result? This reminds me of the Great Commission for us as believers...

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:16-20

We are to "make disciples" and teach them to "obey everything" He has commanded. 1John4:8 says "God is love." We are to teach others about God and therefore, show them with our actions and words, all that love embodies. So as I question why some of my little friends at school do not have supporters at home, and I recognize it is because the world is broken, I have only one reaction. I am to love them and teach them through the love of God. And this will be enough. 

So as these two friends told me they could not think of life supporters, I hugged them with the tightest hug, looked them in the eye, and told them they always have supporters at school. I told them they are loved and cared for. 

My hope, my only hope, my prayer, is that they will be reminded of this and will come to know a Love far greater than my own. A love that spared His one and only Son for them. A God who always is and always will be their greatest supporter.

Let it be.