SC-S29/W4- Nostalgia Of The Little Me: People Who Shaped My Childhood

_{My choir uniform}

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I grew up in the church. Not the building itself, but in the midst of Bible-believing individuals who taught me the values and principles of Christ.

With both my parents as pastors, it wasn't unusual to find me literally living on the pulpit. I was surrounded by people who loved the gospel and didn't hesitate to share the good news of Christ with me.

So when I think of my childhood, I think of The church. These were the people who shaped my childhood.

MY TRAINING GROUND
The church made me who I am today. It taught me the valuable skills I needed to succeed and set my first stage even before I got the chance to perform in front of others.

Let me tell you how.

My church had special Sundays dedicated to the children. During those days, we were allowed to run the entire service. We'd preach, lead the choir renditions, officiate hymns and present short dramas. My favourite moments were when I'd recite long verses of the Bible. Parents often supported us with monetary gifts and food which grew our confidence.

_{I was appointed the preacher during one of our children services.}

The church was my home, school, playground and safe zone.
They nurtured me, and taught me not just the scriptures, but everyday knowledge.

We had this children coordinator who organised after-school lessons for children based on their age grades. Her goal was to ensure that children not only grew their faith, but acquired adequate knowledge to compete with their contemporaries around the world.

She and the heads of the church strongly believed that we were the leaders of today. As such, gave us as much attention and the knowledge needed to "run the world."

FROM LESSON TO IMPACT

_{My church friends and I}
Many of us who grew in my church, stepped out to do wonders. They contributed to society by giving back what the church gave to them.

They hosted philanthropic events, volunteered, and supported good courses where ever they found themselves.

I'm one of them.

I found my love for teaching kids from there. I moved from heading the children choir and Sunday school from as young as 8 years old to organising campaigns to promote quality education around my state.

_{Good old memories. I was so small.🤣 But this is how confident my church had made me.}

There were many habits I learned from the church. They include:

• Dedication and hard work: During my time as the Sunday school teacher and choir director, I was saddled with so many responsibilities. I had to stay up at night to write sermons so I'd submit to the pastor to review before I'd use each Sundays. Coupled with school, I still had to score songs, work with the instrumentalists, supervise the praise team, etc. How I managed to do it without affecting my education, I don't know.
• Conflict management: I might have been the tallest and most confident in the room (that's if you count two boys out ), but I was the youngest and most naive (as per understanding the world with the eyes of an adult) in some circumstances. So, I had to learn how to resolve conflicts amicably without bruising anyone's ego.

The scripture says, "Train up a child in the way that they should grow and when they are old, they'd never depart from it." Whatever children learn today, it never leaves them. They'd definitely propagate that mindset, habit or value.

Honestly, I still see myself practicing remnants of everything "the church" taught me. Which goes to show that childhood is the best time to influence a child's behaviour. Because it's easier to teach a young dog new tricks.

Let's discuss,
What is one childhood habit or value you've held onto that you'll never let go of?

_{Inviting @dove, @bossj23, @josepha, @wuddi, @sariana23 and @jhoti-thelight to the next contest.}