What do the top 2 photos have in common? Well nothing to a normal person but to me Jesus and a messy bun was a conversation started that could eventually change a young girl's heart. Let me explain...

On Tuesday my team and I went into our Secondary school which is like high school. It was a normal day. I attended my first 2 classes and then it was break time. I love break time because it is a chance to stand around with the students and get to know them more. I found my group of girls that I have been building relationships with and started to chat.

We talked about the usual things; school, friends, plans for half term break and messy buns. Now the messy bun is where all the good stuff starts. I asked them how they all did their messy bun in hopes that I would be able to get some tips to improve mine. We chatted some more and then it was my turn to share. Well my messy bun is a little unique. In fact it has a story with it. I started my story off telling them about my friend that taught me how to do my messy bun. I told the girls how "before Jesus" my friend got in trouble and did a lot of not so great stuff. I told them how she learned to put her hair up so fast because she had to get it out of her face when she ran from the cops. Then I said "but now she has Jesus in her life and is going to church and has a great life with no more cops."

After I said that line I thought for sure the conversation was over...nope. One of my girls looked at me and said "how long have you been going to church?" This started me in on explaining my church background and how I grew up. I then go to tell a little of my testimony and how God changed my life. Surely we would be done right? Nope. Another girl said "I want a religion." That led me in to talking about how I didn't have a religion but I had a relationship with Jesus. I got to share about how Jesus does not like it when "religions" fight with each other and lose focus on why they really go to church. Even though I could have gone on more and more and talked all day with them I was interrupted by the bell ringing. I promised the girls that we could talk more about this later and they all agreed that they would like to.

How crazy is it that I can go from talking about messy buns to talking about Jesus? One of my prayers lately is to have intentional conversations with students anytime I am around them. I don't want my conversation to be just a "hey how are you" but I want them to take away something from the conversation. I know that God is helping me have these conversations with students and I am in awe every time he opens a door to speak about Him. Now I just keep praying that I will be able to see these opportunities and not waste them.

I guess the moral of the story is simple...Jesus is in everything...even messy buns.