The prayer of a child

This Weekend through the beginning of this week I worked at Roanoke Christian Service Camp. For 46 hours I was with about 70 or more 6 and 7 year olds. It was amazing, but exhausting. My group was the purple dragons. The theme of our two days was "Kung Fu Christians" and each time we did an activity the kids earned a new "belt". It was really exciting for them to know they had earned something. Yesterday morning before they left they all earned their black belts. We had 10 groups, and each group had 8 kids.
They certainly tested my patience, but also helped me learn what I'm in for when I become a teacher. All the kids are so different. They all come from different back grounds (yes at this age they even have a background, and I learned that real fast). They are all at different maturity levels. They also all have this huge faith that is so unreal to me. They're so innocent...and to them it's easy to believe in this God who is taking care of them. I loved watching them as they listened intently to us when we taught our lessons. They all answered the questions and got so excited when they got the answers right.
I had one little girl in my group who tested my patience a whole lot. Whenever I would call my group together I would count them and I would always end up with 7. The 8th child would be this little girl who would either be with another group...or wondering off by herself...or just not listening. I really had a hard time being patient with her--and toward the end my patience had really worn thin....but I had to remember that she was 6. She was the youngest of all my kids in my group...and the most immature. But she had already told me her story, which broke my heart. She got on my nerves, but she had a huge heart. She loved to be around people...and loved for anyone to listen to her....that included God.
Each time our group got together we would pray at the end, and I would always ask my kids who wanted to pray and she was the first child to raise her hand. I loved to hear her pray. She was so thankful for being at camp...and always wanted to thank God that she was able to be at camp, and able to make friends. She had real love for God that I wish we could all have.
In just two days I learned a lot about the vulnerability of a child. I learned that they love to love and be loved. They love God. They love to talk to anyone who will listen. They're SO grateful for what they have (most of the time)...and their minds are being molded by how we help mold them. Children are precious.
In the bathroom they have scripture posted all over the place, and one of the verses that I kept seeing everytime I went in the bathroom was 1 Timoth 4:12. "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."~I loved seeing that verse and realizing how true it was for our campers and for all of us. These kids set just as much of an example for me as I could for them...and it was absolutely awesome.
So as much as these kids exhausted me, and tested my patience--I was serving them...and learning from them. Loving the way God wanted me to love...