Sonia Girl

Meet Sonia

She looks sweet, loving and innocent, right? 

Let me tell you about her. When she was my student she was about 5 years old and seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. I don't know her exact living situation, but I don't think it is ideal. She had a hard time interacting with other kids, bullying, and disobeying adults. The year before she had to switch classes because she refused to speak English for her teacher. She would sit under the table speaking only in Korean. Needless to say, she was a bit behind when I got her and a hard shell to crack. 

But boy is she smart! And creative! Did I crack her shell? You bet! But it didn't happen overnight. As a matter of fact, it was over a course of months.  

The first time I truly connected with her was a few months in at a field trip over a good ol' game of tag. She's fun, fast, and competitive. I began to look forward to field trips and gym class to specifically have time to bond with her. I noticed she started listening to me more in class, and she began to realize that I really did care about her. 

A few months later, she got into trouble, big trouble, for bullying kids, and perhaps hitting, I can't remember for sure. What I do remember is that she was sent downstairs to the owners of the school, which rarely happened. I went down to make copies and there she was sitting with the stern look on her face that she often had when she got in trouble. I talked to her about what she did, and she sat there with the same look on her face. I was disappointed in her, and she knew it. Before I left, I told her I loved her, and gave her a hug. 

Would you believe that she went from one of my worst behaved students to one of my best behaved students? Of course, there were still some bumps in the road but the improvements were huge! I had gained her trust. She knew that I meant it when I told her I loved her immediately after she got in big trouble. 

I like to think that my Sonia-girl got a glimpse of how much Jesus loves us. I know I failed her and my kids daily, but God didn't. It reminds me of these verses in Romans and 1 John. 

Romans 5:7-8

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person- though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

1 John 3:16-18

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.