Last Sunday I had just returned the day before from attending the Youth Conference in Chicago with Simply Youth Ministry, and I was feeling a bit bummed that I couldn't stay for the duration of the conference(through Monday), yet I was throwing myself back into the reality of my life and singing on the worship team that morning. As I looked out in the congregation I noticed that there were a couple WAVE aged boys in the front row. One of them I had met a few weeks prior, the other was a new face. I thought, good I am glad that we will have a chance to include them in WAVE. I throught through who would be teaching and was glad that Liz was on the schedule - SHE would be a good first teacher for them when they are down there. After worship I saw all the kids going downstairs, but not the teacher....hmmm, what's happening?? Apparently God had other plans:)
Liz had forgotten that it was her turn which left me momentarily panicked. I, as usual, threw myself into survival mode and took over. I arrived in the room with 6 students anxiously awaiting their teacher, and seemed delightfuly surprised to see me. In order to conceil my still trying to come up with something to teach, I was a bit energetic. As one of them put it, "Tammy you are hyper!" HA oh well:) We did a few random questions so I could learn a bit about them and them about me and I just opened my bible and picked out John 6 to read from. At the conference in one of the conversations we talked briefly about the miracles that Jesus did, and how the determination of some friends had basically saved the paralyzed man's life (physically and spiritually). I had TOTALLY blanked on that fact while I was standing there. Instead we read through the frist verse or so and stopped to discuss what was happening and how it looked to Jesus' disciples and how bizzare that must have been for them to grasp what was happening as Jesus took an ordinary day hanging out with his buddies and shooting the breeze(that was interrupted by..oh...about 8,000 people...no big deal...right?!) and made it one of the most amazing faith building days in their lives.
After this dramatic narrative of mine(with voices and everything) it seemed to hit home a bit that this God - the maker of the universe - compassionate soul who allowed his time with his friends to be interrupted - CARED enough for each and every person that came to see him, to bring out the big guns to just meet their every day need of a meal. A simple meal on a hill that miraculously came from just 5 loaves of bread(small enough for a boy's lunch) and 2 small fish. As a group we talked about how much we each would have eaten to be full and just for our little group of 8 we came up with about 28 loaves and 12 fish - the visual was pretty cool!
As the class drew near I thought about those boys, how I HOPED with all my heart that they first of all kind of enjoyed their time in WAVE, but also would be able to internalize that GOD CARES about them just as He did for those people who interrupted His personal time with his friends. I learned shortly after that one of those boys has had a very rough life already in his 13 years. My heart aches for him now. I pray for him as I think of him that God would find a place in his heart and be able to work out all the things of his past for HIS glory. I also pray that God will strengthen ME and give me the wisdom to be able to reach out to these boys and love them with God's love.
The one day I was at the conference seems like a blur now - the track I went to was titled "Helping Hurting Teens".
