Adventures at Highland

Every week I venture into the local junior high to hang with some students. Most of you have kept up with our city's issues with the merging of schools and all that jazz. Phil is over at the high school and loving it. Kids attitudes seem to be great and he's got a great gig over there. I, on the other hand, do not so much have a great gig where I'm at. Every one was all about Anderson high school and focusing all of their energy there, that I think they forgot about highland. EVERY week I go in, I'm either breaking up a fight, or dealing with a bully situation. I face a LOT of negative attitudes - they're directed at me too. But every week, I leave that school, sit in my car and just pray...a couple of times, I just cry. I cry because I hurt for these kids and I feel at such a loss. You know the song "Hosanna", the line in there "break my heart for what breaks yours...EVERYTHING I AM FOR YOUR KINGDOMS CAUSE". I think I caught a glimpse of it today. Every week, I see a glimpse of God's heart breaking for these people. But for once, I caught the second part - everything I am for your kingdoms cause. I exerted all of my energy today, I did all I knew to do and still left hurting for them. I know it won't change immediately, but my goodness, this is a HUGE mission field.
There is this girl, her name is Anna. Pray for Anna. I randomly went to her table at the beginning of the year and she was the meanest person I've probably ever met - she's in 7th grade. She likes to be called the devil and prides herself on that nickname. Every week she cusses at me and tells me to go away and doesn't get why in the world I go in there if I'm not forced to. I told her a few weeks ago that my goal is to get her to smile...today, she smiled. I threw a party for her. I was so excited, she was so angry because she finally broke, but I told her how much joy it gave me to finally see her smile and her response "GO TO HELL".
This is what I deal with week after week. There was almost a fight, I talked with one of the kids today who was really angry to get him to calm down, talked with the dean about it, finally got him calmed down. As I'm leaving, I get a phone call - that kid got in a fight after lunch and is now suspended for 5 days. Guess what I'm doing - hanging out with that kid for one of those 5 days. The deans are starting to look at me as their only hope in the school. This is not to toot a horn - it's to say, WE NEED HELP! If I'm all they got, this is sad. Everything I am for your kingdoms cause. Now I'm going to go into the school and meet with the deans and discuss how I can have a bigger reach and impact in the schools. I don't want to police the lunch room, I do not want to be the disciplinarian, that is not my job. But now I have an opportunity to speak truth into the lives of kids who are constantly being fed lies about who they are. They don't see themselves the way God sees them.

So I guess why I'm writing this - I need your prayers. There is a lot that needs done and I'm only so much, but God is bigger, God is stronger, God is greater and nothing can stop the work that God wants done. I believe after today that I am to be the light in their darkness, to be in their world and empower these kids to be who God made them to be. There is so much that needs prayer at that school that I don't know where to begin. But would you join me in praying for these kids?