Nobody Likes Me..

"Nobody likes me. Everybody hates me. I'll just go eat worms.."

A couple of days ago, I began singing this song on my way back to the church after dropping the lunch kids off at their houses. I didn't really think much about it at first ~ Catchy tune, learned it as a silly song when I was little, and I had just had two kids tell me that they were not going to come back to the lunch program tomorrow (because they were mad at me). The song seemed super random, but it kinda fit the situation I guess. I thought to myself in that moment: I know those kids don't hate me. Dislike me [maybe even strongly at times], yes. But hate.. no. But then The Lord brought to mind some of the scriptures I had read that morning:

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." John 15:18-19

Whoa. What a statement.
What joy and peace we can find knowing that we do not belong to the world! How awesome and overwhelmingly amazing to know that The Lord has CHOSEN US. Yet for this life, we must deal with something that can be a harsh reality at times. "the world hates you." This does not always come in the form of outright hateful actions.. But sometimes it does. And sometimes it comes in the voice of a little boy who's living through unimaginable situations and hurting so deeply: "You're stupid. I'm never coming back here again." And yet he continues to come back every day. The Lord wants his heart; I know it.

Please pray for this child especially, but also all of the kids that are a part of the lunch program. Pray that their hearts will be softened to the Love that God has for them. Pray that they will find the only Hope that can give them Peace in more-than-difficult circumstances. Pray that they will come to VBS (it's coming up soon!) and that they will have open ears to hear the Good News that we have to share.

Lord, we know that You go before us. Prepare the way in the hearts of these precious kids that You love so dearly. Prepare the hearts of the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, guardians, etc as well ~ that they would be willing to come; to step inside the doors of the church; to hear their kids talk about what they learned at VBS for the day; to listen to the fun songs and actually hear the lyrics. Lord, show them who You are! 

Spontaneous Worship

Oh Lord, You are so worthy to be praised!! 

At the most random times yesterday, these songs came to mind and I was ready to raise my hands and dance in worship! It was awesome!! So I thought I'd share and now you can sing with me!

Well I could sing unending songs of how You saved my soul! And I could dance a thousand miles because of Your great Love! My heart is bursting, Lord, to tell of all You’ve done ~ of how You changed my life and wiped away the past! I wanna shout it out; from every rooftop sing! For now I know that God is for me, not against me! Oh, I sing unending songs of how You saved my soul! And I could dance a thousand miles because of Your great Love!

*The Happy Song, by Chris Tomlin

You stood before creation, eternity in Your hand; You spoke the earth into motion, my soul now to stand. You stood before my failure; You carried the cross for my shame. My sin weighed upon Your shoulders, my soul now to stand. So what could I say? What could I do? But offer this heart, O God, completely to You! So I’ll walk upon salvation, Your Spirit alive in me! This life to declare Your promise, my soul now to stand. What could I say? What could I do? But offer this heart, O God, completely to You!

So I’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned! In awe of the One who gave it all! I’ll stand; my soul, Lord, to You surrendered! All I am is Yours! So I’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned! In awe of the One who gave it all! I’ll stand; my soul, Lord, to You surrendered! All I am is Yours!

*The Stand, by Hillsong