“Johanna, Johanna, the paint has spilled!” The girl who met me on the basement stairs was distraught, and my heart sank.
It was Thursday afternoon and, after six weeks of summer vacation, we were meeting again for the first time at PräsentKirche for our weekly Kids Club in Dortmund. I had not been sure if anyone would show up, and had been pleasantly surprised to see five children waiting for me at the front door, with their friends.
The idea for the club had come to me when I noticed how many kids played in the park in front of the church after school, mostly without supervision. What if we could offer them a place where they could feel welcomed, play, eat, get help with homework, be loved and valued by people who know Jesus? And Kids’ Club was born.
Caring for these kids is an immense blessing; it is also exhausting and unpredictable. Think about the blessing part, I told myself sternly, as I looked down now at the spreading blue stain. The children watched to see how I would react, and I stopped myself from scolding them; these kids needed mercy and grace. With paper towels and rags, I tried in vain to blot up the paint, going from frustration to guilt. Why had I let them paint in the first place, without covering the carpet properly? What would my teammates say?
“Could be worse,” said one of my helpers, shrugging. “At least it’s not red.” I laughed wryly, then sat back in defeat. That stain was not coming out. Sighing, I took a picture with my phone and sent it to our church planting team, bracing myself for a rebuke.
Two days later, a text arrived from Carla Suderman, one of the members of our team. She had gone to the church herself to work on the stain, and sent a photo showing the vivid blue was now a much paler color. “Don’t worry,” Carla texted. “It’s almost gone!” Her grace and mercy caught me off guard.
Today, that blue stain is still visible but—would you believe me—somehow, I’m actually glad that it isn’t completely gone! Now, every time I walk into the room and see that stain, I am reminded of God’s mercy and grace towards me, and I am encouraged to be just as merciful with myself and others.
