Metali can sometimes get in a mood where she is just mad at everyone around her for no reason. Well, there may be a reason but it doesn’t make sense. The other night she was in one of those moods but I know that she needs love and attention so I decided to follow her and be there for her even though she was being mean to me. She finally stopped walking away from me so I had a chance to talk to her. When I got close to her it was obvious that she had been crying. I asked her what was wrong but she wouldn’t tell me. Finally I asked if she wanted to go to the roof with me and she hesitantly agreed.
We sat on the roof looking at the stars for a while and she finally told me that she was sad because I didn’t have time for her because I was with the kids. She was also upset because I was leaving in two months. I looked at her and tried to explain that I had to share my love with everyone but I finally just told her how much she meant to me. This worked a lot better.
It was a little chilly so I made some hot chocolate and we sat and talked for a little while. She cheered up and then we went and played badminton for a while but when that was over she wanted to go back to the roof and read the Bible with me. I started off reading most of Philippians (one of my favorites!) and then she wanted to start reading. Now, Metali is smart but she is a little behind in her reading skills because she didn’t start school until she was older. I was a little worried that she wouldn’t be able to understand or be able to read it. However, she insisted that she should have her turn to read. We prayed that the Holy Spirit would be with us and then she started reading. She started pronouncing difficult words and I would explain what they meant. Kids in Bangladesh don’t use phonics when they read they generally memorize words but Metali was sounding out words and reading very fluently. At one point while reading she looked up at me with a puzzled face and asked, “how do I do that?” I laughed and told her it was Holy Spirit who we had prayed for. The answer satisfied her question and she just laughed and continued reading.
Sometimes we forget how powerful our Holy Spirit is. He is powerful enough to help a 11 year old read the Bible. He is powerful enough to heal the injured at heart. He is powerful enough to raise Jesus from the dead and that same spirit lives in me!
“But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8:10-11
We sat on the roof looking at the stars for a while and she finally told me that she was sad because I didn’t have time for her because I was with the kids. She was also upset because I was leaving in two months. I looked at her and tried to explain that I had to share my love with everyone but I finally just told her how much she meant to me. This worked a lot better.
It was a little chilly so I made some hot chocolate and we sat and talked for a little while. She cheered up and then we went and played badminton for a while but when that was over she wanted to go back to the roof and read the Bible with me. I started off reading most of Philippians (one of my favorites!) and then she wanted to start reading. Now, Metali is smart but she is a little behind in her reading skills because she didn’t start school until she was older. I was a little worried that she wouldn’t be able to understand or be able to read it. However, she insisted that she should have her turn to read. We prayed that the Holy Spirit would be with us and then she started reading. She started pronouncing difficult words and I would explain what they meant. Kids in Bangladesh don’t use phonics when they read they generally memorize words but Metali was sounding out words and reading very fluently. At one point while reading she looked up at me with a puzzled face and asked, “how do I do that?” I laughed and told her it was Holy Spirit who we had prayed for. The answer satisfied her question and she just laughed and continued reading.
Sometimes we forget how powerful our Holy Spirit is. He is powerful enough to help a 11 year old read the Bible. He is powerful enough to heal the injured at heart. He is powerful enough to raise Jesus from the dead and that same spirit lives in me!
“But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8:10-11
Thanks for the reminder, Chantel. You're making such a big difference in those kids' lives!
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