“God, You Can Come Into My Heart Now!”

Written by PCA’s Director of Development, Elaina Russo

“As I sit in the Firefly room [one of our Preschool classrooms] during rest time, listening to the light sounds of snoring and deep, peaceful breathing, I feel so grateful to be part of these little, beautiful souls, which are illuminated by beautiful Christmas lights.” So begins a recent social media post by Miss Jodi, a PCA Preschool teacher to the Fireflies class.

I often get to share with you the impact you have on our students and our school through your giving, prayers, and volunteering. Today, I want to share with you a glimpse of the impact that PCA has on the lives of those same students and how both of those influences dovetail with each other.

The students, families, teachers, and school ministry you support are all reflected in Jodi’s social media post. What you’re about to read is part of the “WHY” of which we get to be a part. THIS is the heart of why we do what we do in the way that we do it here at PCA, and for many supporters, it’s why they continue to volunteer, give, and pray for our school long after their children and grandchildren have graduated.

We often spotlight the achievements of our students, but those spotlights typically revolve around the kind of academic, athletic, and fine arts achievements of older kids.

Today, let’s spotlight our littlest learners—our preschoolers. Consider the wonder, curiosity, and openness of 3- and 4-year-olds. Consider the opportunity, privilege, and responsibility of working with these young minds and hearts.

As you read the rest of Miss Jodi’s post, think about Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

“This morning, during outdoor recess, a group of Fireflies asked me how to get God’s attention. I told them they already have it, that He’s listening to them right at that very moment.

“Their amazed and curious faces as I answered more questions about whether or not (or how) they could see Him, hear Him, and know that He is with them brought joy to my heart. When I told them God was in their hearts, one student asked how and I told her she just had to invite Him in. She looked up to the sky and shouted, “God, you can come into my heart now!”

“I’ve thought back to this moment several times today and it reminds me how thankful I am that we have something so special here at PCA and how fortunate I am to be a part of it. We get to freely talk about God, and our students get to be curious, ask questions, and learn about the Creator of all their beautiful souls as they peacefully sleep under Christmas lights that they know are hung to celebrate Jesus’ birth.”

Miss Jodi says, “My favorite thing about working with preschoolers is their curiosity and excitement for just about everything! This time of early childhood development is probably the only time a student’s excitement for any subject matter or activity directly and predictably mirrors their teacher’s. What’s more fun than that?”

When asked how God reveals himself through her students, Miss Jodi says, “Every day, I feel His presence, whether it’s during our prayer time when a student prays out loud for a friend for the first time. Or a connection with a parent or student that makes it so clear He placed that child in my class for a reason. Or when a student boldly and without hesitation looks to the sky and shouts, ‘God, you can come into my heart now!’“

Thank you for praying for PCA, for volunteering your time, and for giving your treasure so that together, stories like this one can be told and so that the lives of children as young as three get to be influenced for Christ.

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