I’m no expert on children. I’m not even the expert on dogs or cats, and I have those. But I have always felt comfortable around children for the most part.
Volunteering in nursery at church and working in children’s ministries for most of teen to adult life has been very helpful. Teaching at a high school for a couple of years gave me great exposure to the older teenagers. I’ve kept my young nieces between the infant to toddler age too. Most of the age ranges I have had a decent amount of experience in. Except one.
The middle school years.
To be honest, they terrified me. I remembered what it was like to be in middle school, and with the advancement of social media, I’ve heard it has only grown worse. If I could help it, I’d avoid this age range as much as possible claiming it was not in my wheelhouse.
When Daniel and I took over youth group in 2022, I knew it would include the middle school range, but the ones that were coming to youth I had known for years. I even had babysat a few of them in the early days. Since I had known them their whole lives, they didn’t scare me too much with them now being in middle school. Even with that knowledge, I still see a vast difference between our middle school aged kids and our older high schoolers. We took them shopping for Angel Tree gifts one time to Wal-Mart. We had a great time, but I was on edge the whole time trying to keep my eyes on all of them, especially those middle school boys. Luckily, my husband went with the boys and I shopped with the girls for that adventure.
Then this school year, I got asked to absorb the National Junior Honor Society members (middle school ages) with my high school kids in National Honor Society. I agreed without hesitation because those kids deserved to be a part of something too. It was after the fact that a little voice whispered to me, “aren’t you afraid of the middle schoolers?” And it was too late to back out by then.
However, much to my surprise and gratitude, those middle schoolers in NJHS have been a wonderful blessing. Several have come to help out with NHS events and attended meetings. They were a huge help and willing to do whatever asked of them, which was kind of a breath of fresh air because you pretty much have to make things mandatory to get high schoolers to attend for the most part.
I’m still no expert on all the age ranges. I never will claim to be. I just do what I can and follow where God leads me. I did ask Him to steer me away from middle schoolers originally, and of course, God showed me I can do the things that scare me even if I don’t feel equipped or capable because He always provides and equips those He calls.
“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” -Hebrews 13: 21
I don’t know why I still get surprised at the blessing I receive when I follow through on what God has asked me to do. He has never failed me or steered me in a wrong direction. Thank you God for leading me to do Your Will and fulfill Your plans, for they are far better than I could ever imagine for myself.
Mirror, Mirror 