Reach

I have a fellow Student Minster who is like a mentor to many folks. His name is Al. Al, who lives in Alabama, has been in student/children’s minister for quite a long time, like 32 years. He sent this to me. I presume it was sent to him by one of his students. So I am sharing the thoughts and adding some of my own and inner-twinning them into then some deeper thoughts with you. After you think about it, it’s an eye opener. I have some closing thoughts just below the article. Let me hear from you.
tc

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Are We Really Spoiled?

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth; before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them.”
Ecclesiastes 12:1

Our youth minister was talking to us about how we as teens could help change the world. He even showed us a picture and videos of third world countries of little children starving with no hope of food. I looked around the room and I saw sad faces. I saw faces of concerned teens who wanted to do something to make a difference. We even got in small groups and discussed what we could do to help others. One of our junior high girls began to shed a few tears as she held a picture of a helpless child. As a senior I wanted to see how this all panned out. Unfortunately, it was just as I thought, by the next Wednesday night youth group meeting we were all back to normal and only thinking about ourselves. We were talking about I-pods and the latest video games. Oh, well, life goes on. I’m sure the government will do something to help with our tax dollars; at least that’s what the adults say.

How do you feel about the children of third world countries?

What will you do to help just one of the third world children?

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Matthew 6:25-34
Matthew 19:16-26

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TC’s thoughts.
Now that you have read the short article, what are we doing to just help others?
Let me rephrase it. Not we. What are YOU doing to help others.
Woooooo, wait a minute. Remember the young guys & girls we just had for vacation bible school? What are we doing for them?

We don’t have to go to Africa to help people. Many are un-churched and some live at near poverty levels and they live right across the street. Well, I haven’t forgotten them. I think about and pray for them often. Maybe one day soon I can see them accepting Christ as savior. But, they will never GET IT unless we can show them compassion and get to know them.
It all starts by building relationships with others OUTSIDE our close knit group of friends.
Yes I am talking about our own little "clicks". Hey, having close friends are always needed, BUT
going outside of our comfort zone can be kinda freaky. But it's what we are made to do. REACH OUT to others.

Look at the example of Christ. He went to the extreme to set the example for us.
Can’t we even go across the street for him?

A note from a student.

Hey tc, how’s life in the fast paced world of student ministry? i thought about you the other day after talking with a, what used to be, a close friend of mine, in which the subject of our lives came up. we began to discuss what was going on in each other's lives and it was made clear that we both were okay with what was going in our lives right now. well let me re-phrase that we weren't okay with what was going on, we just didn't care enough to really fix anything. i mean this hit me hard and fast tonight. complacency is the biggest problem i believe christians face. it is what causes our relationship with Christ to begin to weaken. are we ever suppose to be okay with where we are in our lives, really is this what God wants from us as christians? i'm going to be honest. if God based the blessings we received on our efforts to know him better, i should be receiving nothing right now in my life, praise the Lord this isn't how God works i know it's not b/c i continue to received blessing after blessing. a few summers agowas a great summer for me and several people around me. Our lives had changed and we genuinely loved each other. then things began to change in all our lives in a BIG way. we all got "busy" (college), things came up, and basically we all grew apart and things really haven't been the same with all of us since. Now i know i shouldn't base my relationship with Christ on who is in my life at the time, but all i'm saying is that having that group of people, that community seems to make things so much easier. i believe God intended it this way. So am i being too over the top here with my thoughs? maybe some would say yes, and i'm okay with that all i know this is how i feel right now. what is it exactly that God expects out of each one of us? I know he wants us to love and forgive and all that stuff, but individually what does God want from each of us? We all have different things we excel at, and why is it sometimes we just don't care enough to find out what it is? we can lie or justify that it's not that we don't care, but i believe if we all got honest with ourselves we would admit that lack of desire is the basis of our justifications. that summer i have never felt more alive, more driven, it was a great feeling that i have not experienced so strongly since. God is really showing me things right now in very unique ways, i'm not some crazy, over zealous/beat you up because you don't believe in God christian but God does huge things everyday that we all miss out on! maybe it's b/c we are only consumed with ourselves and what's going on in only our lives that we miss things. i don't know i'm just throwing out options. i stongly urge everyone to look for where God is moving, he is def. moving i know it, alot of the times we don't even stop to see what he is doing in people's lives. it is so easy to focus on the bad b/c that is what is thrown in our faces constantly. there are alot of hurting people in our lives that we all know and sometimes that person is us whether we want to admit it or not, but i know he is doing great things in people and always will be! it brings me such joy to see him work in people, i love! i'm so thankful for the conversation i had with my friend that i didn't even expect all this out of! so I am going to watch and pay attention to others in my life, don't let huge things pass me by, love the Lord with all I am. he's going to take care of us! please disregard any mis-spelled words, maybe i should have mentioned this at the begining! oh well, and man this note is crazy long, oh well. u have always been a very special person in my life. u may not even remember me, that’s ok to. But one day a few years ago, u sat down with me one wednesday night and spoke some words that I know were not prearranged. words of truth and conviction. words that had to be from god. words I needed to hear at that time in my life. thanks for taking the time. it meant a lot then and means more now more than ever.
i know how busy u are. i stop by from time to time and check out the hope web site and see pictures of lots of new and younger students and there u are, still serving. wow. i don’t know how you do it, but so glad u do.

Hang in there,


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