Walking into Ms. Stephanie Tempel’s classroom at 7 a.m., Brothers And Sisters In Christ (B.A.S.I.C.) members were already sitting around talking and patiently waiting for their president, senior Haleigh Carr, to begin the week’s devotional session.
Carr begins the meeting by asking everyone if they have prayer requests and then prayed over the group, everyone’s heads bowed and eyes closed. Carr gave the week’s message about anxiety.
“What are things that make you the most anxious?” Carr said.
“The unknowing of what people are going to come to school with,” sophomore Ryan Freidhof said.
“For me specifically, it’s where I want to go to school next year and what I want to do,” Carr said.
The members nodded, taking in what was discussed and patiently waiting for Carr to continue with the early-morning lesson.
“If God takes care of the birds of the air, He’s definitely going to take care of us,” Carr said. “Worrying makes your life harder. God knows what you need.”
To engage her members, Carr posed a question: “How do we not worry?”
“I think worrying comes naturally to the human body,” Freidhof said. “There isn’t preventing it without the Lord in your heart.”
“For me, it’s praying. Worrying is not trusting God,” Carr said. “God wants to hear from you. He wants to be your best friend. He can help you.”
Carr read Psalms 46:10 to the group and finished her lesson.
“I had to learn to stop trying so hard for everything and set time aside for what’s important,” Carr said.
Carr took prayer requests from the members again and asked anyone if they’d like to lead the closing prayer. Junior Jake Stacks offered.
“Help us to trust you more, Stacks said. “Humble us.”
Carr concluded the meeting as the bell rang, and the members left feeling comforted and strengthened for their first class of the day.