My Bumblebees

My first class of the day was yellow group, the youngest group of girls ages 5-7. I knew four girls in that class from teaching preschool and on the first day they came running to me for the hug and kiss they knew they would receive; a couple of the girls that I didn't know followed them and they all recieved the same. We tried to play a game where everyone said their name while doing a silly action and everyone repeated; but for some reason hearing 32 names twice it didn't really stick.

As the weeks passed (way too quickly) I began to look forward to yellow groups huge tackle hug (everyone joined in now) I waited as all the other groups passed the carport, where I taught younger p.e, out the gate and off to their first class of the day. Then as yellow group came swarming around the corner towards me yelling "Hoooope" or "Mwen Hope" (my Hope) I couldn't help but laugh and try to say "Good morning" as they barreled into me each laughing, lifting little their heads up, forming their little lips into a kiss and calling attention to themselves as I worked my way around the group giving them a kiss on their forehead or cheek.

One of their favorite games was called Barnyard.

In this game we split the girls into three groups and named them either: cats, dogs or sheep. The jr counselors and leaders stood in the middle or off to the side, I paused, watching the excitement on their faces as they waited to see which group got to run... "Baa" came the call and all the sheep went running to touch the wall before someone could touch them; the jr counselors and leaders would race to try and catch a child before they were safe at the wall.

This game was also one of my favorites because everyone involved just couldn't help but smile and squeal as they raced or were caught and swung around in the arms of one of their leaders. I tried to mix it up calling another group to the wall while the leaders were trying to catch the last couple from the previous group, their faces as they were caught off guard made the little girls laugh hysterically as they raced close to their stunned leaders without being caught. During the last week girls that had been caught could get back into the game if they could say a sentence in english. Others were content to sit with me and "help" me call out the different groups. And certain little girls, while they participated in the game tried to be caught because it meant that they were swung around in their leaders arms and then they got to cuddle with me on my bench or be tickled as they watched the game continue.

I loved my little bumblebees, those girls were never without a smile on their face or a kind thing to say. They had just as much energy as the crazy boy group their age but they used it to spread joy and laughter and to play the games better.

This game reminded me of us and our relationship with God, because though we race around doing this and that and as this world discourages us and we're brought to our knees we run to the promise of heaven and the fact that there will be no more tears there and we will be made new. While this is all true and wonderful we sometimes forget and maybe just don't think about the fact that God is the real thing we should be longing for and as the entire human race races and tries to work their way to heaven, we should be racing to God's arms.

We were asked a question by one of our Directors, Bryon. He asked us during a devotion "If Jesus wasn't in heaven, would you still want to go?" think on that a little bit through-out this week; do we love Him because of what He gives us or does for us or do we love Him simply... for Him?