She's the One

       by Wendy Douglas

You know the one. The one child that stands back from the rest of the group. The one child who sits down during the games. The one child who crosses her arms during worship. The one child who hangs her head when asked a question in small group. You know the one.

I know her. She’s the one. She’s the one that challenges me to engage her every week. She’s the one that challenges me to connect with her every week. She’s the one that challenges me to love her. And I do. So very much.

She and I had a bit of a breakthrough this past Sunday. The kids in KidzPlayce are learning and memorizing the books of the Bible during our time of fasting. She said that she wasn’t sure if she was ready, but wanted to try. Off she went to recite them to our KidzPlayce director. When she came back to small group, she was so disappointed that she had missed a few. My first words to her were “I’m so proud of you.” I went on to tell her how courageous she was for trying as she was the only one in our group to do so. Then it happened. She lifted her head and gave me the very best smile that I have ever seen outside of my boys. Ahhh…contact.

Yep, she’s the one.

Do you have one of your own in your children’s ministry? How do you reach out to them? How are you connecting with them?