This morning kicks of Freedom Week for FCA at our middle school. Freedom Week is when we have FCA every morning for the whole week. It is always held the week prior to spring break to get the students focused on Christ before they head off to spring break. Each morning we do something a little different to make it fun and exciting for the students. Today we are having a worship service and 4 of our leaders are sharing their testimonies. My daughter, Laura, is one of the leaders sharing today.
Last night she was wrote out a rough draft of what she wanted to say and we talked through it to make sure she had her main points written out clearly. Then, being a speaker, I encouraged her to come up with a couple of bullet points to help her remember what she wanted to say instead of taking up a paper with the whole thing written out. It frustrated her at first, but as she worked through the process, she was able to choose five key words that would trigger what she wanted to say. She stood in my room and gave her testimony and tears pooled in my eyes. I was so proud of her.
Being the FCA sponsor at our school, I have the privilege to work with all of the FCA leaders, not just my daughter. I have the opportunity to share what I have learned about God and life. It is a precious friendship I have developed with these students. I have been blessed in my life to have people pour into me and invest in my life and this is one way I can pay it forward.
Titus 2:3-5 talks about the role older women should have in the lives of those younger than them. They are to teach and encourage and spur them on in the faith. 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” God clearly states that we all have roles to play in the Kingdom, both young and old. I would like to suggest we are all to play both roles. We have people older than us who are pouring into us and investing extravagantly in our lives. Then we also have those coming behind us who we can pour into. It is like we are all straws and the knowledge and blessings of God are poured into us and then pass through us to others.
Ask the Lord to show you who you are to spend time with gaining wisdom and direction and ask Him also who you are to pour into and bless. This isn’t an either/or situation. We are called to both.