The previous two weeks of excitement, new beginnings and building new relationships had me going into week three with great anticipation. I was ready to conquer the world but little did I know that Satan would attack by the end of week 3.
The first day started out GREAT! I put the new verse on the mirror, John 11:25. As I sat with Jason on my bus waiting for the kids, I was so excited. I just knew how great this week was going to be and hoped that new doors may be opened to the kids that hadn't said anything about it yet. As the kids piled onto the bus that day, I didn't feel the same excitement from them that I had the two prior weeks, but little Caden noticed first thing when he got on and asked me to read the verse to him out of the Bible! That really got my hopes us. It was so awesome being able to read to him from the Bible and explain the verse to him. I don't know if he likes the verses more of just me spending time with him. Either way, I am getting to share Jesus with him. The two boys that sit behind me also noticed the verse and read from the Bible again. And at the end of the route the same girls came up and grabbed the Bible and read from it again. We always get a little more time to talk because everyone else is off of the bus by then. But I was a little disappointed because it was the same people that I have been able to talk to for the last two weeks. Why hadn't God opened the door for me to talk to anyone new today? I still had hope, there were still four more days.
As the week went on, no one else really asked about the verse, other than the occasional question about when I was going to change it again. I was glad they were wanting more and I was excited to give them more. I was just a little sad that no one knew had said anything about it. However, I did have one high school boy get on my bus on Wednesday and opened up a conversation as he was walking up the steps to the bus. It was just casual conversation but he had never talked to me before. I went home and told Jason about it because I was pretty hyped about a high school kid wanting to make conversation with me for the first time this year. Not sure if it had anything to do with the verses or not but God was definitely trying to open the door. Thursday and Friday yielded the same thing. The teenage boy started up conversations with me on both days. We talked about school and his weekend plans. It felt great talking to him and I hope that this will open up opportunities before the end of the school year to share Jesus with him. This was AWESOME! I realized that sometimes relationships have to be built before someone will open up to you and want to hear about Jesus. This is my hope for the students on the bus that haven't said anything yet. I hope that God will allow an open door for me to build a relationship with them so that I can share Jesus with them.
Don't think for one minute that everything always goes that smooth on the bus though! I had my share of Satan this week and I did not like it one bit I tell you, not one! I had a first grader lash out with calling a girl the "P" word. Sorry, you'll have to guess if you don't know because it can not be repeated and made me sick to my stomach to hear coming out of his mouth. I could not believe my ears. Then the other kids were shouting, "He said ...." and all of them were shouting it out loud. What had happened? Everything was going so smooth and one little word had to wreck it all. The student told me he had heard it from his uncle and did not even know what it meant. Satan STAY OFF OF MY BUS! DO NOT ENTER THESE DOORS! YOU SHALL NOT PASS! This will be my prayer each day before I get on the bus the rest of the year. I have been praying for my sanity and for the kids but never thought about praying for Satan. But this will be my new prayer because I am tired of him bothering our ride every afternoon and I won't let him destroy what the Lord is trying to do.
It was a hard week but we got through it and I know that the Lord has great plans for the afternoon ride on #7! I just know it. He taught me through the trials this week to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). It can be a huge challenge, especially when the kids say things they shouldn't be saying. I do realize though that they are sometimes just innocent bystanders and are only doing things they have been accustomed to or taught by things they have seen. All the more reason for me to love them just as God loves me. Where else will they get it? I have to be strong and follow through with God's plan. So I ask that everyone reading this blog, please pray for the children on my bus, and every bus for the matter, and that I can be strong and be who they need me to be. God has great plans and I am determined to not let Satan get the best of #7, if it is the last thing I do. Pray on prayer warriors, pray on.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies". John 11:25
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