My husband and I have been teaching High School Sunday School for a while now.  We enjoy the kids and the challenge of teaching teens. 

About a year or so ago one of the Deacons asked if I'd be interested in teaching the little kids.  Pre-K.  I said not really.   I seem to get asked this alot down here.  I think mainly that's because I look young even though my kids are all grown and gone.  In some cases I'm one of the youngest in the church since there are so many older folk down here.   My gifting is teaching older kids and adults.  So he came back later and asked if I'd take on the teens. 

I said yes, and then recruited my husband to help since there were mostly boys in the class.  So together we've been team teaching them and enjoying that. 

Then a few weeks ago, the Deacon's wife asked if I'd be willing to teach Children's Church during the Sunday Services.  I'd be on the rotation schedule.  I kind of felt bad because the situation is they don't have enough willing hands to do the work.   The burden is falling on just a few doing most of the work around the church. 

Since I don't agree that a person teaching Sunday School every week should also be involved in teaching Children's Church I declined.  It should be one of the other, not both and I do have a bible study I prepare for out of my home on a weekly basis. 

Then Sunday happened. 

I was met at the door by a Deacon with a very pained look on his face, hating to ask me, already knowing I didn't want to do the little kids.  He asked if I'd be willing to take the SS class for the little kids that morning because they had no one.  I looked in the room to see two little six year olds sitting at a small table.  I asked where their teacher was.  He said they hadn't heard from her in two months.  Later I found out there were about four others who were taking turns doing this class on a rotation basis so they had no permanent teacher.

And it showed, because I did take the class that morning and I found this out.    Two of the kids had never heard of Jesus in the manger.  None of them had ever heard of Joseph or David and Goliath. 

I walk into the classroom with no prepared lesson thinking how hard can this be?  Two little boys.  Within minutes I had four more kids now ranging from 5-10.  So now I'm looking at six little faces going, now what? 

So we talked and got to know each other.  I asked about their school and their teacher's names.  I asked what they liked about school and what they didn't. 

I read them a few stories and then it was time to go.  Ok.  Did that. 

But it bugged me all week.  How can they not know about baby Jesus in the manger?  The spirit within me was disturbed.  I know the meaning of love is to do what you don't necessarily want to do.  So is this God telling me that he has a job set before me?  I wasn't sure.  Is this guilt?  Is this the Holy Spirit?  What?  So I sent up a prayer saying...Ok God, if this is your will show me.  I need some evidence here. 

Three days later we walk into church like we always do to attend the Wednesday night prayer time and bible study.  A little girl flew over to me wrapping her arms around me.  I instantly recognized her as one I had  in class on Sunday.  I had never met her before this time. 

Great.  I had never seen her on Wednesday's before.  What was she doing here?  Why was she hugging me? 

So I went over to the Deacon sitting at a table and said..."Ok, tell me about that Sunday School class." 

He looked up and asked, "are you going to take it?"  I said, "it looks that way." 

You would have thought I just bought him a convertible and was handing him the keys or something the way he danced a jig jumping up from the table. 

I was recently told by an older lady who is in the next door SS room that she had been praying very hard that a SS teacher would be sent for these little kids. I think she was on the rotation.   Then she said "and then he sent you."  I haven't told her about my prayer yet.  I will.  She was extremely happy. 

Now, I've got a bundle of little kid Sunday School material to look over.  I should have lots of little kid stories to tell.  I may find out that teaching little kids is going to be a lot easier than teaching adults.