I am constantly amazed by high school students. Their future is wide open and full of dreams. They create plans, ideas, and hopes that weave love, success, and a search of identity. They hope to combat fear and disappointment by finding their niche in this world. And they aren’t just seeking to make a difference in the future, they are doing it now.
My prayer is that their hearts ache for the least of these in this world, they seek justice for those who have no hope, that they seek their dreams with all that they are, and most importantly, I hope they find that their identity is in Christ.
So today’s blog is dedicated to celebrating The Underground students. Past and present.
It wouldn’t be fair to highlight one or two students in this blog today, for they are all worthy of a spotlight. And also, because I’m human, I know that if I write out each student, I’ll forget one or two. So instead of mentioning specific students, I’m going to mention qualities or things I’ve learned from them. Because even though I’m the youth pastor, I’ve learned so much from them.
Here are a few things I’ve learned from teenagers:
--Teens watch their parents and imitate them whether for good or bad. A few weeks ago I had a flat tire and a few of the guys in the youth group noticed and helped me. It reminded me of their fathers.. men who have servant hearts. They are instilling this in their children by imitation. Love it.
--Students have dreams, big dreams. They are fearless in attempting to reach their dreams. I’ve seen this in so many of my students, and I’m in awe of their childlike faith of fearlessness. I wish I was more like them.
--Students are not afraid to say what they think. End of story.
--They are talented. This week I will attend 4 choir/band performances at different schools. I’ve seen the hard work pay off and they strive to be the best at everything they do. Yesterday I witnessed our worship band listen to a song and then play it live. Incredible talent. God is so cool in how he wires us and gives us talents and gifts.
--They are funny. Recently I had a middle school student walk into my office. He had a very recent stain on his shirt. I asked him about it. He replied “Well I was eating a burrito and my dog attacked me. But I was too lazy to change my shirt.” These kids are funny. I think I noticed a bean from his burrito still on his shirt.
-- They seek to be better. Each day they are growing in knowledge, in life skills, and (hopefully) in faith. I know for the most part they are forced to grow and learn, but I see their attempts to learn and be better. Better at a sport, at an instrument, with their studies, with their relationship with God. They make me ask myself, “How am I seeking to be better?”
--They contribute to society. I've seen past students graduate from high school, go to college, graduate and are living the dream. They contribute to their community and are living models of faith. Current students are doing so many things in their community. They integrate their life of faith into society and are being a light in the darkness. Love this!
--Students give away their money and time. I’ve seen teens hold their hands open to giving up their allowance or earnings to give to those less fortunate. I’ve seen them give their time to serving in the community and on mission trips. An average student spends 7.5 hours in school, then between 2-4 hours studying a day. And somehow they still manage to do a school extracurricular (2 hours), do social things (2 hours) and serve at church (2 hours). How do they fit it all in? These kids give of their time and money. I love this and learn from them.
--Teens remind me to laugh often, wear my heart on my sleeve, and continue to search for meaning and significance in this life.
So today, I’m thankful for my students. I want to celebrate them often, brag about them, and learn to be more like them. I hope that their legacy will be filled with happy moments, significant faith moments, and a burning desire to know God.
No comments:
Post a Comment