My calling: Singing Silly Songs?

For the past few weeks, my coworkers and I have been working with one of our schools to launch a "singing playground" -- basically, a time where we teach boys and girls songs they can sing together on the playground. Amazingly, kids don't do that anymore...they don't play games together...they don't know how. So we gather them in a circle and sing silly songs that I learned when I was a kid.

The first week was super successful, for what kid wouldn't want to sing songs for a sticker? (Stickers provide a pretty awesome incentive to participate!) Then, one by one, I lost them until I was left alone, rejected even by the Kindergartners. Even little Erandy, the one girl who usually races up to me shouting "GIRL SCOUTS IS HERE," walked away saying she didn't want to sing any more songs.

It was an odd time to have one of my "why am I here and what has my entire life meant" moments, but who can predict the questions of the mind?

One of the Kindergarten teachers stopped my coworker in the hall last week to tell her that two girls got into an argument on the playground. As it got more serious, little Erandy confronted the two girls and asked them to stop fighting. Then, she invited them to play with her and another friend. They spent the rest of recess singing songs together.

One little girl. That's all it takes to help me regain my confidence and continue searching for my calling.

But is this not it? Isn't my calling to work with little girls everyday praying that someday they will recognize their inner beauty and strength?

Is it not "to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?"

I search for a way to promote justice and love in my life. I try so hard to help these girls grow in confidence, but when I approach Honna, complimenting her for how well she has behaved that day, she slowly shakes her head..."I'm not a good girl. No I'm not. I'm not a good girl."

Do these girls deserve the hardships they've already endured? Not in my eyes. But don't they deserve to smile when someone lifts them up? Don't they deserve the love of a true friend?

So now I am calling for the strength to hold these girls up. I can't let them fall, I can't give up on them. So I wait patiently for the Lord to answer my calls saying, "Here I am." Until then, you can find me on the playground singing the Crocodile song.