Upon asking a student how he got involved with the church's youth group, the parent realized that his response chimed, "Melissa."
Questioning further, the parent probed for further information. The student described that while he was still young and attending the YMCA Summer Day Camp, he remembers me asking him to check out IMPACT, our middle-school ministry.
Since that moment, he's become a regular attender at IMPACT and has recently graduated to the high-school ministry, RIOT. In fact, within the last two years, this student has challenged his faith with difficult questions, surrendered his life to the Lord through baptism, and even attended the infamous high school Christ In Youth trip of 2008.
"You never realize how you affect a student," the parent encouraged. "You really influenced his life, and all it took was an invitation."
It has been incredible to watch how that invitation has blossomed into a way for God to work through the student's heart, the hearts of his family members, and those friends around him. We NEVER realize the potential that "little things" have in an individual's life. It's things like those-opening doors, carrying a conversation, taking time to help someone-the little things-that sometimes, God uses as those most life changing experiences.
1 comment:
good for you! i am so glad you are able to have this affect on people. it is amazing at times to see how god is working in our lives-and how we can use our lives to touch others.
i am still very good friends with my youth group leader, and over the years (many years!) our relationship has changed and morphed and I can honestly say she is the single greatest influence on my christianity. she shows me day in and day out what it means to truly rely on god. i can only hope to have that one day.
keep up the great work
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