It's so rewarding to see their eyes light up when they remember all the days of the week, what day of the week it was yesterday, and to know what day of the week it is today.
During our phonemic awareness time when they make the association of similar sounds or know how to use words in sentences.
Most of all, they have a deeper understanding of who God is through our bible and prayer time. I'm learning how to continually share the gospel with them without them feeling it being forced upon them. When I ask a question of who God is and they say "A loving God who loves me when I am good and bad", that is rewarding. The first time I asked that question, everyone said in unison, "No he does not love us when we are bad" and that just about broke my heart. We cleared that up quick!! :)
It's not so fun when you make a child cry 3 days in a row for putting him in time out to teach him the importance of obeying and listening because I love them and want to protect them.
It's not fun when you are constantly instructing the children to "sit with you legs folded and hands in their laps", "walk with your hands behind your back and in a straight line, and "are you obeying or disobeying?"
But I would not trade any of it! God is stretching me and preparing me for the future when I have my own children.
"He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young."
Isaiah 40:11
These are not my blood children, but God has given me the opportunity to invest truth and love into these children 5 days a week and I want to be a part of what God is doing in their lives. But I truly need God's wisdom and strength to do it because I fall to my flesh so many times. I am so impatient with them and then reminded how patient God is with me when he has to guide me through the same situation over and over and over.
