Thursday, April 15, 2010

what happens when the Holy Spirit falls on kids

Bryan,
I just have to tell you what happened here yesterday. Noah (our second) had a baseball game and Chase stayed with his friend JB (who is not a Christian) to play Xbox. We return three hours later to see them out in the dark putting away the lawn mower. Our neighbor moved months ago back to Cleveland because her parents both died and she was alone in the house and only in her early twenties. The house is empty and the landscaping was really getting bad. In our community, you are fined if your yard is not kept up. Instead of playing video games, Chase and JB spent three hours cutting grass, pulling weeds, and clipping hedges for someone who would never know and never see them. They felt very good when they were done.
The next day, another neighbor who saw them cutting the grass asked if they would cut their grass for $20. They were so excited because they had been trying to get lawn jobs. JB came up to me and told me very excitedly. I told him that it was God and he said, “I know!”. I started to tell him about the Good Samaritan story, but Chase had just told him. He told him that they helped someone who couldn’t give them anything in return. God saw their hearts. Praise God! What a witness to JB and Chase!
Another boy on the street asked why they were cutting the grass at the empty house and if they were getting paid. Chase & JB said no and that boy said, "What a waste of time!".
I have been holding a bible study for these kids every week for about 8 months. I have seen small moments in their lives (usually only during the bible study and not outside where it really counts), but when the kids lead the kids, then we will see real change! God is at work on our street!
Thank you for your workshop. Chase gets it and has had two opportunities to live it already this week!
Kristti

2 comments:

Fawnie said...

That's so cool. I got to share with my secular Jewish psychiatrist this week what a difference me realizing Jesus didn't have to die for me but chose to out of love made in my life. The change was so obvious to him he eliminated one of my medications and reduced another. God uses the weak, young, broken, to share the good news. And when our words are backed up by change in our lives or action, I pray the message is louder and clearer to a watching hungry world. Yeah for Chase and JB! And Jesus!!!!!!

Rev. Bryan Bywater said...

praise God for the healing Lynn!