Welp. Remember the last time I posted something? About a month ago....where I said I was going to be more consistent with the blog? Isn't it nice to know that somethings never change? Am I asking way too many questions to start off blog post? Whatever...
Ok, so this post is going to be a little different than my usual deal. Over the last three weeks, we have been doing a series at Epicenter called "Together." The first week we combined all middle and high school parents together with their parents in the chapel to hear Dr. Johnny Hunt speak about the need for gospel-centered families. The second week found us listening to Pastor Rick Young teach students important things that they needed to understand about their parents. Last night, Pastor Matt spoke on what parents need to know about their students. It was a great message and you can find it at this link: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/12739842.
If you don't have 45 minutes to watch it, I'm going to give you a very abbreviated run down of what happened. About four weeks ago we put a piece of paper on every chair in the Warehouse and had the students write down (anonymously) things that they wish their parents knew about them. We took those things and broke them down into categories and Matt discussed these categories last night. These are actual things that students in Woodstock, Georgia wrote down.
I wish my parents knew:
- That ar our age, the most difficult thing to do is "fit in"
- I wish my parents knew they were the most important thing in my life.
- I WANT to be close to my parents
- That I don't know what I would do without them
- They mean a lot to me and I would love to spend more time with them
- I actually like and want to spend more time with my mom
- I need my daddy to love me
- I wish you knew that I am so grateful for you
- My family is everything to me
- I want you to pour into my life
- I am nervous about the future and I need your help to prepare me to survive on my own
- I want your support for my decisions
- I want my parents to know that I love the Lord and I am scared to share with my peers
- I want them to know what scares me
- I want them to ask me about my relationship with God
- I wish we prayed together...I don't know what you're afraid of
- I wish you led me...instead of the other way around
- Listen...THEN give advice
- It's not easy being a Christian at my school
- I'm scared to tell you stuff for fear of being judged
- I know you loved me but I wish you showed it more
- All I ever wanted was to be loved and to have a good friend
- I cut myself nearly everyday
- I have seriously considered suicide
- My mom doesn't know that when I smile...it's all a lie
- I have no self-confidence
- I'm stressed
- We can reach the world even at a young age
- I will do whatever God calls me to do, even if you don't like it
I know that is a lot to take in, but these are the actual cries of students that I come in contact with on a weekly basis. Some of these students come from great homes, and others not so much. Some of these are just simple suggestions, and others are cries of desperation.
I am so thankful for my family. I'm so thankful for parents who love me, who raised me in a Christ-centered family, who forgive me when I make mistakes, for a dad who modeled what it means to be a "man after God's own heart", for a mom who is never ashamed to tell me she loves me and to model what I should look for in a future wife, for a family that is sold-out to do whatever God asks of us even if that means moving halfway around the world to Africa. I'm blessed. I have a picture of the good side of life. It's exactly how I want to lead my family one day. At the same time, hearing these students' hearts breaks mine.
This is nothing new. We are all familiar with broken homes, broken families, abuse, and neglect. My desire is to point students to a relationship with a heavenly Father, to grow daily in my relationship with my Abba Father, and to one day model my earthly father.
Romans 8:15 "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption tosonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
