Have you ever found out about something that was around when you were younger and thought that if you have known about it then, you would have been really, really into it?
And then you realize that wait, you did know about it then, and didn't care anything about it because of the person you were then.....and that the person you were then was the precise reason you should have been involved in it?
And then have you ever thought that no, never mind, you wouldn't have wanted to be involved because of the people who did know about it and were involved in it?
And then did you think that it's kind of really sad that you would think something like that?
Those were the thoughts that went through my mind this morning during a presentation at church on Young Life. Are you familiar with this organization? They do amazing work with "spiritually disinterested" teenagers which, incidentally, would have been a pretty astute description of me back then. I wanted nothing to do with anything spiritual. My sister and I hid in the bathroom to avoid Sunday school, ran from the church's youth pastor (who now, in a hilarious twist, is my pastor), and basically treated church as a hassle. Not interested.
Isn't it sad that there can be something wonderful out there for someone, but because of simply who they are - a person who really, really needs that certain something - they are the least likely ones to participate? It is a sad irony that only hindsight can recognize.
In any case, I applaud the Young Life workers and volunteers. I would have been a tough nut to crack, and it's people just like I was that they are targeting every day. Bravo. Keep it up.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
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We feel the opposite with our youth all the time. Some of Dave's lessons I think, "Oh, if so-and-so and so-and-so were here, they'd especially benefit from this!" but they're almost always the ones that don't come. The ones who we don't feel need to hear it are the ones who do. Sort of like offering my students extra credit. Those who do it are the ones who already average over 98%. The ones who are down at 32% rarely do any of it.
And I've heard of Young Life all throughout college but only because I've always been around people who volunteer with it. I've never actually experienced what it is. IT sounds good, though. Our friend, Bethany, is heavily involved in it and is always going away on Young Life retreats. It seems like a really cool thing.
The church I went to near Philly was heavily involved with it. In fact, that was their youth group. They didn't believe in an isolated youth group within the walls of a church but in a youth group that was actually in the schools. It is really great.
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