This fall, I’ll be getting a brand new small group of 10-12 7th grade boys. This has been on my radar since my last group moved up to high school, so I’ve been super intentional about spending time with our junior high ministry at summer events, weekend services and when students show up to our student building out of the blue. The idea was that I would get to meet a lot of incoming 7th graders and begin to 
build relationships as we move into a new small group season.
Once that started happening, there were a few students I connected with that I started wanting in my small group this year. We connected well, so it seemed like it would be a good fit. When I dug a little deeper, I started dropping hints that these guys could request to be in my group for summer camp and small group. The problem was, they had already asked to be in someone else’s group before we met.
Some time went by, and I had a group of 10 guys at camp that I had never met before. After building relationships with them and hearing their stories, it was clear to me that God had another plan for my ministry this year. I wanted to get these guys in my group from earlier in the summer, but I had forgotten that God already had my group all planned out, and it didn’t necessarily include the guys I would’ve picked.
This was a great reminder to me that we don’t control how the Kingdom is built–God does. As you head into the new school year, try to be more open to who God wants to put in your path… those will be the ones he chose for you, even if you didn’t choose them yourself.
