Aslan Newsletter of June 15, 2000

Dear friends:

I am constantly amazed by the ways the Lord works. I’m sure you have had days when you hit the ground running and everyone is coming at you from a thousand directions. Those people you are relying on to be at the right place at the right time don’t show up, leaving you discouraged and haggard. Five minutes before you get to work, you turn down the radio and mumble, "Please help me, Lord!" So often those are the days that God lets us know that it is not about what we do, but who He is and what He does through us.

Not long ago, I had one of those days times ten! I was directing our Long Branch "Right Choices" Program, and my volunteers were late, sick, or had broken down cars. The students were totally out of control! Two volunteers finally arrived and things calmed down a little. I was left with a group of "only" twenty 5 to 8-year-olds. I started out by asking the children if they knew that God could not ever forget them. Little heads bobbed up and down. "How do we know He can’t forget us?" I asked. Mark shouted out, "Because he created me!" Then Shanaya said, "Because he died for me!" These were good answers, but there was more. I continued, "God loves you so much that He has written your names on the palms of His hands" [Isaiah 49:16]. I began to go around the room and name each child and declare their names are written on God’s hands. One little boy exclaimed, "God must have really big hands!" Everyone laughed and I told them God does indeed have huge hands. I also told them that their names are engraved in the hands of Jesus through the wounds He bore for each of them. The children were quiet and awestruck as they thought about the crown of thorns, the nails, His sacrifice for each one of them . . . .

As we dismissed for the day, all was hectic once again. One child didn’t get a snack . . . a fight broke out on the bus. Yet, I knew Jesus must be smiling as He watched those precious heads bobbing up and down on their way out the door. The words from a popular song state, "I want to be your hands. I want to be your feet. I will go where you send me." This is where He has sent me, and for that I am grateful. And thank each of you for helping us be His hands and feet!

Most sincerely!

Leneita Fix

Assistant Program Director

* I have changed the names of the children to protect their privacy.

Leneita Fix With Long Branch Children