Maraleisa VandenHeuvel reads in her favorite nook of her bedroom. Surrounded by play scripts, homework, sheet music, and her work uniform, it’s a rare moment of calm in her otherwise full schedule.
While her days are full, VandenHeuvel regularly remembers why she serves and participates in so many activities at school and at LaGrave Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Mich. This reminder comes with help from a devotional she read a few years ago.
“It can be easy to forget how special God made us,” VandenHeuvel said. “The devotional reminds me that God is using my voice in ways I never would have expected. God loves me just the way I am, and I am enough.”
The devotionals, published by ReFrame Ministries’ Kids Corner, have provided similar life-giving lessons to Dexter Leo, a 15-year-old attending Sherman Street Church in Grand Rapids.
“I remember a specific devotional about asking for help and how it’s okay to be vulnerable sometimes,” Leo recalled. “That just really struck me in a way that I didn't understand at the time, but I knew it would be important.”
Today VandenHeuvel and Leo are more than listeners to the weekly devotionals; they co-host the weekly 2- to 3-minute audio devotional, lending their voices and creative ideas to Kids Corner’s ever-growing resources for kids and their families.
“I used to think adults were the only people who could make a big difference in God’s world,” VandenHeuvel said. “It’s cool that, even though I’m just a teenager, God is using my voice to help kids and families access devotions and God’s Word.”
From “When We All Work Together” to “Big Plans,” you can hear the two voices guide the children or families in your life at KidsCorner.net/devotions.
“I love being the host for these devotionals,” Leo added. “It allows me to express myself and praise God in a unique way.”
About the Author
Brian Clark, ReFrame Ministries
