I’m in the parking lot and the only thing separating me from a bunch of teenagers is fear. I didn’t realize teens could be so scary, but as it turns out, they can be quite frightening. It’s Sunday night and I’ve agreed to volunteer with a friend at high school student ministries. As I sit in my car staring up at the foundry a million thoughts run through my head. Would I seem like the old married lady to them? Would I be the out of touch mom? Would they connect with me? Did I know any Lady Gaga lyrics?
The funny thing about God is that he usually calls me out of my plans and into his. One minute I’m elbow deep in diaper rash anointment, and the next I’m working myself into nervous hives because I’m about to enter the land of high school students. A place rumored to be inhabited by all manner of Wild Things who “roar their terrible roars and gnash their terrible teeth”.
I try to compose myself by remembering all the faithful people who poured into my life as a teen, and I know it’s my turn to do the same. Sometimes its comical how quickly God moves; hadn’t I always thought about serving students ”one day”; one day when I had enough time to devote to it; one day when my own girls became teens; one day when I made enough space in my heart for it…you know…one day.
I’m not sure what it is about teens, perhaps it is their ability to make me feel a spectrum of emotion all at once or the fact they are so much more assessable-so unlike adults. Whatever the appeal, I finally exit my car despite my fears and proceed into the building. As I enter I pray for supernatural instructions that will enable me to appear more like MTV and less like Lifetime. Then I heard that all too familiar still small voice of our Father telling me. “Sit down. Love them. Hear them. Pray for them.”
So I pray, and that’s when the flood happens.
The students flood me with their uniqueness, their silliness and their style. My heart instantly inflates with their tears, their needs, their words and their worlds. Their problems, large and small, are so different from what I envisioned and I find myself counting how many more student leaders they need just to be heard. Lively chatter, musical laughter; hugs and singing whirl around me and I pause as one adult leader is adorably serenaded by a precious ukulele player.
Our time together passes quicker than I expect and I’m left in a delighted state of awe. I entered the foundry that night afraid I wouldn’t be able to relate and I left irrevocably altered.
Weeks have passed since that night and all I can say now is how completely blessed I am to serve these students in any small way. From a simple text message offering encouragement, or a prayer about their lives while I’m in my car…anything I can do to bless their lives.
What I have discovered is how amazing it was to obey God even when I didn’t think I was ready. With unparalleled precision God wrecked all my comfortable fears and the totality of the damage is staggering. The blessing of being broken by teens is something I never thought I wanted, but the experience has become like a prize possession. It is a joy to watch them seek out faith and godliness, and I’m honored to have a front row seat as God meets them right where they are. It is the beginning of a journey that I look forward to walking for as long as Christ will allow.
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