Reckless Abandon

I was an adult chaperon for a church youth group this weekend. We went to Dare 2 Share in Lincoln. Now... you need to know my history with this youth conference.

The first time I was in attendance I was in sixth grade. I went every year until I was a junior in high school, I believe. That's about six years. Every year reminded me how important it is to share the love of Jesus with my peers. If something is so alive in me, I should be willing to put myself out there. D2S taught me how to effectively share my faith with my friends, family, and even strangers. It's an awesome thing.

The people of this conference believe that revival is in the younger generations. If we are going to accomplish a revival in the Church, then we must reach the teens. I couldn't agree more.

Last year I went again with a youth group from the town next to the one I attend college in. It was then that the most life changing experience happened. It was then and there that I felt God nudging me to do a form of youth ministry. I truly believe in THE Cause (the Great Commission), and I believe it will be most effective in the teens of today.
It was then that I said, "I will go, Lord. Send me!"
And He said, "Are you sure, Anna? Because if I send you, it's going to be all the way."
Yes.
Send me.
And I looked up at the stage and I thought, "Woah. Wait. You want me to be up there?"
Yes.
I'm a shy person. This is totally outside of my comfort zone, but with God I can do anything. So that's what I'm working towards.

This year (I was ecstatic when the church needed another chaperon), was just as convicting. I would like to share a few snap shots for you:

There was a little girl (probably the daughter of one of the leaders) with light-up sneakers. I hope she never loses her dancing feet. During worship she was dancing her little soul away. She was making art with her feet. I loved watching her. I want to write a poem about her, but I don't know if words can ever do her justice.

One of the girls in our group tried to share the Gospel with a stranger in the mall. He through the card she handed him in her face and told her to essentially buzz off. Those tears she cried were testimony to her boldness and willingness to stand up for her God. And while it stung, she will never forget that moment. She graduated from PU (Persecuted University) this weekend, and I am so proud of her heart.

Another of our girls called her dad. It was a very hard phone conversation, and I will continue to pray for that relationship and the conversations to come.

At dinner one of the other leaders and I sat with a boy we didn't know from a different youth group. Michael. While the boys were talking a little bit about Pokemon (is that how it's spelled) I ate. But we also got around to talking about Jesus. Michael was very clearly autistic, and did not understand why he was at D2S. So Adam talked to him about Jesus and why it was so crucial. I hope that the conversation transplanted the seed to richer soil.

I also laughed a little at Greg Stier's expense. When he was going through the GOSPEL acronym, he stumbled on 'L.' And I laughed because they have changed that letter's sentence, and I always stumble over it, even though the new version is so much clearer. I'm just glad I'm not the only one.

I could write about this a lot longer, but I will spare you.

Zane, Propaganda, and Greg talked about how our individual stories are unrivaled, and how we need to be unleashed. So I will move forward, unabashedly, and unhindered, and I will tell my unrivaled story about my unrivaled God.

"And if our God is for us, then what could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then who could stand against?" [Shane and Shane]