28 Days of Thanksgiving in the Book of Psalms – Day 9

Today’s Verse: “So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; we will show forth Your praise to all generations.” Psalms 79:13 (NKJV)

I Give Thanks For: Ability to Teach the Next Generation!

Last evening I was teaching a Bible class at a local Chinese Church. A small group of kids gathered to hear something from God’s Word. It’s a joy to teach these kids, our next generation, things about the Lord Jesus Christ. Before class one of the girls came to me and asked a few questions about God’s offer of salvation and how to know for sure that you are a Christian. And for a few moments she had my utmost attention as I simply explained the meaning of salvation and the steps to take in making sure she knows Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. As we were about to part from that conversation and go to class, she looks up at me and says, “Thank you Ms. Kathy for explaining all that so that I could understand it better. You are the bestest church teacher I have ever had and I love that you teach us so much about Jesus. I will think about what you said and come back to talk more another day.” As her teacher my heart was touched! And this teacher, is praying, faithfully and fervently that this young girl would choose to make Jesus her forever friend and personal Savior.

I thought about that conversation all evening. I prayed for her and many other students before I closed my eyes for sleep. Once again, conversations like that, remind me why it is I do what I do. As a Bible teacher, I now have over 40 years of experience in teaching kids about Jesus. In church, in Sunday School, in Vacation Bible School, in Awana, in Bible Study Groups, in camps, in public schools, in weekend retreats, in backyard bible clubs, in discipleship ministry – in all those various venues, I’ve had opportunity to share God’s Word with boys and girls who have a need to know about Jesus and His great love for them. I lost count of how many kids I’ve taught over those years, but its a lot! But I do know for fact that each and every child heard the Good News of Jesus and responded to it in some way. It’s been a joy as a teacher, to be part of that.

I am blessed to have the opportunity from God to teach the children over all these years, blessed to meet and get to know some amazing kids, blessed to have a small part in their lives, and blessed to watch them grow in their knowledge of and their relationship with a God who loves them even more than their teacher does. I’ve been blessed to be their teacher, mentor, encourager, adviser, sister in the Lord, and friend! I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to teach the next generation, to make a difference in their lives – – one child at a time!