New Creation

Oh Margaret*. I had only been in Monte Plata for a few days when I heard my first "Margaret story." She has a very long history of defiance, disrespect, running away from school, violence towards classmates and teachers, and being one of "those kids." By the grace of God, she has continued here at our school and is currently finishing 6th grade. After a long talk outside of her classroom during my first month here, she and I have been on great terms and we have a special relationship. Margaret can usually be found hanging around outside my office during recess, not-so-subtly waiting for me to invite her in to work on math, look at pictures on my computer, or just sit while I do work. 

Margaret and I after Clase Biblica today

Margaret also loves coming to Clase Biblica on Wednesdays after school. I think her favorite part is when she stays after all the other girls go home and we pray together. That's my favorite part, at least! This has been our regular pattern for the past few months and Margaret always has a long list of problems to pray about - everything from her family to her living situation to her academics to her behavior to her friends...This girl prays for it all. Her life is hard. It's not just normal-teenage-girl hard. It's depressingly, sometimes dangerously, makes-you-want-to-cry, impossibly hard. 

After class today, Margaret stayed behind as usual and as I wrapped my arms around her in a hug I asked "What are we praying for today?" She looked up at me and said "Nothing - today I just want to pray and thank Jesus for all the ways that He's changing me. I used to be really bad but I behave at school now and I'm really different. And I want to praise God for that." 

Cue the tears. I hugged her tight as I prayed and thanked God for the way in which He is working in sweet Margaret's life. We laughed together as I said "God, we know that Margaret has been trying for a long time to change herself, but that didn't really work." And then we smiled as I continued, "But God, You are powerful enough to change even the hardest hearts and the most impossible situations."

Today's Clase Biblica lesson was about God making us new creations. The Bible says that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away and the new has come." How beautiful it is to see this truth so perfectly displayed in the life of one of our girls. Praise God for all He is doing here and in the hearts of those who believe and trust in Him around the world. 

*Name changed to protect privacy.