Pizza Blast!

So last night I was able to go to the local middle school for an after hours event that was Christ centered. They had probably 300 kids there. Great band. Good magician. Good speakers. I had volunteered to help and I figured I would maybe take up tickets or help serve pizza. Something simple...something easy.

Oh, Abba Father, you had something different in mind. I showed up and was told I would be counseling kids who had made decisions or had questions.

WHAT? Not me! I'm not qualified to do that. What if I say something wrong? What if they don't like me? What if I don't make sure they get the answers they are looking for?

We had a crash course with one of the speakers for about 30 minutes on how this usually played out. After the event there would be an invitation...as kids came forward the counselors should come forward as well and just grab a group of kids and take them off to talk. You may have some kids that aren't making a serious decision...they are just walking up to the front. You may lose some kids in your group as they walk out and see the pizza set up and choose to walk in that direction. You may end up with kids who have tons of questions.

Lord, I am not ready for this.

I walk into the program and my knees are shaking. I look around at all these kids...high school age down to 4th and 5th graders. They look so different than kids did when I was in school. Some of them are talking and not paying one bit of attention. Some are obviously there as date night as they hang all over each other. Some are sitting alone and they look lost.

Where do I sit? Do I stand off to the side or just mingle with them? I decide to bravely walk right up into the bleachers and sit in the midst of them.

Bleachers aren't comfortable for a 33 year old lady after an hour and a half...just so you know.

I smile as they walk by me. I pray for them. I pray that God reveals himself to them in such a way they can't deny it is him.

About half way through the program I have a group behind me that are rowdy and won't tone it down. I finally decide I should say something but not be that overbearing adult so I lean back and say, "Hey, guys...if you would like to hang out in the hallway and talk I'm sure the pizza will be ready soon and maybe you don't need to hear this message but some of your friends might so I would really appreciate it if you could just tone it down a little. Still have fun and enjoy yourselves and certainly stick around for the pizza and the band...but I really need you to help me out and just be a little more toned down, Okay?"

They calm down and later I even see a few of them in the crowd of decision makers.

It ends and the invitation starts. I wonder how many kids are going to come down when all of a sudden waves of them are walking down.

I head down and approach 2 very young looking little girls and find out they need a counselor. They are in 5th grade and came because one of their older brothers invited them. We all start making our way to the choir room where we can get out of the mass throng of kids and I feel a tug on my sweater. An absolutely beautiful little girl with teared stained eyes tells me her and her brother don't have a counselor and they don't know what to do or where to go so I grab them up and take them with me.

I prayed with 4 kids, 3 who rededicated their lives to Christ and 1...the younger brother of the girl that stopped me...who made a first time decision to accept Christ.

Can you say I had an amazing night?

Thank you, Father for putting me where you did last night and for bringing me Ethan, Bella, Christine and Meigan. I pray you continue to work your will in their lives and that one day they will think back to a pizza blast event and a volunteer that loved spending that time with them.