Am I Gum or Money?

One of our friends has a high school ministry where they teach morals and biblical principals. When students want to know more about Christ, they have a small group once a week in each school location. Our friend needed someone to lead one the groups for a time because all of his staff were teaching classes at the time it was going on, so we volunteered to help. It’s a group of 5-6 girls, and we’ve been there twice now. This is how the first one went.

 

The girls were so open and friendly. We asked them questions, like what’s your favorite food? And- when’s your birthday? Then, Elaina shared a message that made an impact on the girls, and myself.

 

As an illustration, Elaina took out a pice of gum and asked if one of the girls wanted it. She said yes. Then Elaina chewed it up, and offered it again. The girl said she didn’t want it anymore. Next, she took out a 20 quetzals bill, and asked the girl if she wanted it. Of course, she said yes. Elaina then threw it on the ground, stomped on it, and rubbed it on her body. She asked again. The girl said yes, she still wanted it.

Elaina said the reason why one would still want the money is because no matter what it goes through, or how beat up it can get, it still has the same value it started out with. When we put our value in the hands of our friends, family, or just people in general, we believe that they have the ability at any moment to chew us up and say that we don’t have value any ore, and no matter how hard we try, we can’t make the chewed up piece of gum valuable again. But in reality, God has made us valuable, and there is nothing that can add to or take away from that. When we hold to that, we can be secure in who, and what, God made us to be. He has made us to be His children, and nothing we go through can take that away.

 

I am so happy we got to meet those girls and speak into their lives. They said they are glad that we are doing this, because we talk about things that they can relate to and are going through. At the end of our time on the second week, we asked them to let us know if there is any topics they’d like to be discussed. It’s amazing that, beyond culture, American or Guatemalan, we are humans growing up in a broken world trying to seek the Lord, and we struggle with some of the same things. I’m excited for what’s going to happen, and getting to know these girls more. Please, keep them in your hearts and prayers!