Another Day in the Grace Van…


“I could never do that, whewwww, no-no-no…” is a common response that I hear when some one finds out that I drive one of the vans to pick up kids for tutoring. It does get noisy and crazy, and at times I wish that I could just zap the kids home with a magic wand. But most of the time I enjoy these 15-20 minutes that I have to talk with the kids and find out how their day was and what they might do that weekend.

These past few weeks we have had great conversations and everyone has been actively participating. (Note these are not “planned” conversations they just happen at random). Last week we talked about, why we say things that we don’t mean when we are angry, and how it hurts people and we may not even realize it. Monday of this week one of our elementary girls piped up and asked, “Ms. Suzanne where do you go after high school?” and then a little later into the conversation a 6th grade boy asked, “Why do kids drop out when they turn 16.” Needless to say this was a great conversation as we talked about college and the importance of having a dream for your life so that you can stick with school even when it gets rough and kids are dropping out and skipping right and left.

Yet, yesterday’s conversation tops them all and I rejoice that we were all able to talk about it so openly. (The key here is to not write off the kids as crazy when they start talking about 3 headed sea monsters. )

It started like this…

(We had been talking about my trip to India)

Me – Do you guys think you would like to go another country when you get older?

Kids – NO!

Me – Why not? I really think you would like it. There are so many interesting things to see and learn about, it really is cool. You should think about it.

Middle School Girl– Not, me Ms. Suzanne I will stay here in G’boro, there are no floods or tornados here.

Me- (Thinking) (OH but there is so many other things that you are so callused to…shootings, Gangs, Drugs, Teens having babies, Abuse)

(But I say) Yea, that is true but you should still think about it.

Middle School Boy – Not me! I never will, because that 3 headed monster that lives in the ocean. I am never going across the ocean!

Me – What 3 headed monster?

Kids – You know that one in the Bible that is going to come out and kill people.

Kid – I hope I am already dead when he comes out.

Me – Oh you mean the one that is talked about in Revelations? The one that is talked about at the end of the Bible.

Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.

Revelations 12:3a
Kids- Yes…Ms. Suzanne when is that coming? Will we be here? Will the Christians leave?

Middle School Girl – Will we get another chance?

Me – I don’t know when he will come out. No one really does. No angles, no man knows when Jesus is coming back either. Not even Satan. So we have to be READY all the time! He could come back NOW. (I stop the van and look at the kids briefly and continue to drive.)

Kid – So when He (Jeusus) comes back is He going to rescue us?

Me – It says that everyone that is a Christian will rise up to meet him in the air. Not people that say they are Christians or pretend. They have to be real Christians. Are you guys Christians? (mumbles of yes, yes, yes…)

Middle School Girl – But, Ms. Suzanne how do you become a Christian? A REAL Christian?

Me – I am so glad that you asked that question. So I proceed to tell her and the others about admitting you have done things wrong and asking God to forgive you. Believing that He dies for you and that He is your only way to heaven, and living your life for Him.

There was a Unity as we got off the van together yesterday. We told each other we would see each other in heaven. I could see the young minds of some of the children still turning and a relief on others.

It was nothing formal. But the gospel was shared and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that those 6 kids know about Jesus and the way to HEAVEN, and that puts a song in my heart today.