Just Be

It's Sunday afternoon and I'm sitting on the couch, looking out the window and thinking over all that has happened these past two weeks. My host family is relaxing around the house. Alyssa and I are working on how to tell everyone at home what we have been up to, what we've learned, and how we've seen God work.

Overview:

These past two weeks we've been shadowing sessions in the afternoons. That means that we are assigned to a leader (one of the staff) and child, and we watch their session. We rotate through the different leaders so we can get a feel for how they each lead their session. The goal isn't for us to learn how to lead like a specific staff member, but to learn from all of them to better how we will lead sessions in our own unique way. I have led sessions before at my home ranch Glory Reins, but it has been so awesome to see how multiple people lead and get ideas that I wouldn't have thought of. That may look like something we do (being creative in games to play with the kids and horses), questions to ask, or even just letting there be silence when words aren't needed. 

Every morning we have a different activity, Mondays and Wednesdays we have chore time, Tuesdays we have mentor class, and on Thursdays we have horse class. Monday and Wednesday you'll usually find us in one of the paddocks scooping up after the horses, each week we try to get further than the last week! This past Wednesday we helped with staining some posts in Big Barn Refuge, we were able to finish all the posts, and some of us overachievers left with stain in our hair and all over our clothes! On Tuesday in Mentor Class we had a study on sessions and what they are really about, pointing that kiddo to Christ, and how to do that well. Sessions are all about making that child feel seen, heard, and loved, because they are. My favorite session to shadow this past week was with a younger boy. We went onto the grassy hill and for pretty much the whole time we fought with nerf swords! But what was really cool was that while we were playing we had some really good conversation. It was a good balance of good conversation and just allowing the kid to be a kid! He was seen, heard, and loved. 

A good time to laugh

~ Every day one of the staff comes in and yells "Happy Monday!" Or whatever day it is. 

~When staining the barn the guy who was leading had me change jobs twice.... I ended up holding the paint can for someone on a ladder most of the time 😂(thanks for giving me your painting skills mom ;) ) 

~At our host home Alyssa, the daughter, and I somehow got started on looking up pick up lines... Our favorite was "Are you my appendix? Because I don't know what you do or how you work, but I feel like I should take you out." 

What has the Lord been teaching me?

*As most of you guys know, I am very much task oriented. Give me something to do and I wont stop till the job gets done! Now, being a hard worker isn't a bad thing, but sometimes I get so task oriented that I miss out on building the relationship. These past couple weeks I've really been learning how to work, but to keep the relationship first. Even when the task is an important task, that person I am working with, whether it be a kiddo, another intern, a volunteer, or a staff member is more important. 

*"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10. This can be hard for me when I know that there's stuff that needs to get done. As said above, I am task oriented! The Lord has also been working on me with enjoying the process. Enjoying the here and now, not worrying about what has to happen next but just being in the moment and enjoying the little things. One example of that is with grooming the horses. Usually I would just hurry up to get it done so that I could get onto ground work or riding. These past two weeks I've really taken the time to enjoy it. To scratch the horse's itchy places and just be in the moment. Just be when I'm working with a kiddo, just be when I'm having conversation with someone, just be when I'm taking time to be in His word. 

Thank you Lord for taking time to draw me closer to You, for teaching me how to shine Your light.