For this post, I need some help. I lead a small group of middle school girls on Sunday mornings. Now, I've never been a parent and I really don't plan on being one anytime soon, so maybe I just don't know teenage girls like I thought, but I CANNOT get these girls to talk to me! I feel like I'm pulling teeth during every small group time. How do you parents with teen girls get them to talk to you? Or do you just let them stare at you with that blank stare making you feel stupid? Don't get me wrong, I quite enjoy the awkwardness of silence during the small group and I'm not mad by any means, but I need to get them to say something!
Last Sunday, I thought to myself, "Maybe I'll ask really easy questions, like yes or no, so all they have to do is nod. They can't not nod, right?" I was wrong. I literally asked, "Who has struggles here?" Blank stares. From. Every. Girl. It was horribly awkward. I think awkward situations are funny and mostly bearable, so I was fine, but they clearly aren't getting anything out of small group time if all I do is babble on and on (which trust me, I'm great at). I feel like maybe one day someone will say something, maybe one day, something I say will hit home and get these girls talking. It hasn't happened yet, but my one small step to change the world at this point is to not give up on these girls. Some of them hear about Jesus all the time, but some of them only hear about love and what Jesus offers us once a week when they sit there at church. I have 30 minutes to get through to them in one week. Do you know how much pressure that is?! I know, I know, God is with me and he has my back and I'm making a difference just by not giving up. Yeah, I get that, but what more can I do. I need help. Any suggestions?
I'm thinking if I can relate to these girls... favorite TV shows, favorite artists, something... then maybe I can get through to them! I don't even know what middle school girls like nowadays and I'm not even that old! These girls are growing up too fast and hearing things that I didn't hear until I was a senior in high school. They're learning new things about boys and sexuality that I didn't hear until right before I got married! I don't want to skirt around issues that these girls hear about on a daily basis. Maybe I've got my solution for what my small group needs to look like from now on---scrap the robot-like questions and talk real with them. They need someone to talk to other than parents and peers. I can be that person. This can be my "change the world" moment.