free to be me

It was

 Wednesday.

I plumped down into my car and headed to my next destination. My mind trudged through the stressful day that I had. It was like mud. I couldn’t think much into the future because I was stuck in discouragement, stress, and hopelessness. Oh, woe is me.

I headed to a building full of adolescents and teenagers and young life. This was my favorite place in the world. It was youth ministry. And it was here that I was called a “leader.”

I sat down in my chair between two young, lively girls and listened to the message. But my mind was distracted and would not surrender the heavy worries of the day.

And then at the end of the message, almost like a routine, I heard this.

“If the leaders wouldn’t mind coming up, let’s go into a time of prayer and ministry.”

I put down my Bible that I didn’t even open and I stood up at the front, waiting for anyone to walk up to me.

A young, thin girl with glasses and pretty brown eyes walked up to me and clasped my hands.

She whispered her prayer request in my ears.

And suddenly, my thoughts disappeared like a vapor. The heaviness in my heart lifted like a feather. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing bothered me.

She put her head very close to mine and I began to pray for her. And then, I felt a warm tear drop on my shoulder. And then another one. And then another one.

At this point, I couldn’t even think of anything but this young girl and her prayer request. My heart softened and all I wanted was for the Lord to intervene and touch her heart. And He did. And in the process, He touched mine too.

After our time of ministry, we went outside and had a water balloon toss, which almost always ends in a water balloon fight.

And for the rest of the evening, I felt her wet tears on my shoulder. I didn’t wipe them off. They did not dry for a very long time.

And that day, that was all that mattered.

-j