“YOU’LL NEVER CATCH ME TEACHING A CHILD.”
That was my attitude 16 years ago. Children were not a priority or much of a consideration before I became a Christian. I certainly did not have the patience. Thankfully, God did!
After becoming a disciple, my perspective of children underwent a transformation. I remember, a few months into my new life, I noticed a group of kids running to a brother. Being reminded of how the little ones went to Jesus, it was at this moment I simply prayed for God to change my heart. Little did I know He took me seriously!
Since that fateful day, I have taught in the Children’s Ministry and served as a Preteen and Teen Worker. Furthermore, 10 years into being a disciple, I did the one thing I was convinced I’d never do: become a teacher by profession. God moved my arrogant heart to desire to be in the one place where I could be immersed in a sea of struggling, wounded minds, yearning for hope and freedom: the public middle/high school.
As you can imagine, I prayed for patience! I yearned to show them Jesus, even though I wasn’t sure how. On my difficult days, I tried to remember that the kid I wanted to remove from my classroom was handmade by the same God that created us all. I made so many mistakes, but my greatest concern was giving the students a picture of Jesus. How does one do this in a country where God’s name is not allowed in the schools? Live by faith. How does one dream for a broken individual who cannot dream for herself? Instill hope. How do you reach hearts, inspire confidence, and help restore? Love. Isn’t this Jesus’ attitude toward us?
I am deeply grateful for God’s faith that I would see Him, God’s hope that I could dream, and His decision to love me through my weaknesses. “Sometimes on the way to a dream, you get lost and find a better one” (Lisa Hammond). After working as a teacher for several years, God sent me in an unexpected direction. In the last year, He blessed me with the opportunity to serve as the Youth Ministry Coordinator for the New York City Church of Christ. While it has been a time of learning tasks and responsibilities, it has matured my relationship with God and His Church.
God is constantly directing me to Him. In a world where Satan insists on clouding the biblical perspective, the Almighty still keeps it simple. “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good” (New International Version, Deuteronomy 10:12-13). I need to respect, obey, love, and serve Him with all of my heart and soul. Moreover, He asks me – really, all of us – to teach the same to the children.
I am honored to work with people who answer the call day in and day out. The NYC Regional Coordinators serve children out of love and respect, reminding me of God’s heart for His precious ones. They carry out their responsibilities as tireless servants, volunteering their time, resources, and talents, for the glory of God. They are heart shapers, ministers of families, and spiritual firefighters. They deserve nothing less than to be lifted up as examples worthy of imitation.
Although each of us is gifted in varying ways, any disciple can teach a child. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them… There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). God worked in me and made it possible to live for Him in unexpected ways. No matter which path He takes you, know that His power is able to transform you and His grace is able to sustain you. Our youth need us as they attempt to make sense of this dark world. So go in faith, instill hope, and love them through God’s power. He can do anything.
Yahaira Loperena,
NY, NY
