YoungLife Leaders are Heroes

I've been inspired to blog again, thanks to all my awesome friends who keep blogs about their lives.  I never really realized what interesting friends I have.  I am genuinely intrigued by what they have to say.  Go figure.

This past week at school has been nuts.  I picked up 20 credit hours, expecting to drop one within the first week, but you know what, I think I'm gonna stick with all of them.  I'm only working a few hours at the dining hall so that I stay sane in the midst of homework, fellowship, and leading.

Leading!  I'll be honest, I was nervous to get back into the swing of things at Nelsonville High School.  And honestly, there's only been really one actual "swing," with that being All Area Club this past Monday night (which was AWESOME).  I'm still waiting to get hit in the face when the swing becomes continuous.  Anyway, I was nervous because I felt I had suddenly lost my passion over the summer.  Which seemed un-freaking-real because I LOVE YoungLife and I LOVE high schoolers and I LOVE my team so it didn't really make all that much sense to be feeling the way that I was.  I was worried about my attitude because the thoughts going on inside my head were, I'm gonna have to go to the school, instead of, I freaking WANT to go to the school.  See the obnoxiously important difference in those two thoughts?  I had.  And freaked.  I was fearful that leading was not where God wanted me and I had made a mistake getting placed and signing a contract and AH.  Deep breathe.  

I came to college, saw my team, and BOOM.  I was instantly back in love with Athens, my co leaders, 11 Stew, the whole shabang.  I've seen my high school girls (and guys), I've been to the school, I've hung out with my team, etc.  The passion came back, like I knew it would, deep down in my heart.  This is what I was built to do.  Love kids.  Lead them to the Lord.  Why?  Because that's what my YoungLife leaders did for me.  They invested their time and love and energy in me.  They prayed for me.  They weren't getting paid.  Sometimes they weren't even getting loved back.  And, despite my perceptions, they were actually human too.  They got tired.  They got frustrated.  They got weak.  Did we, the highschoolers, ever see that?  Nope.  They slapped on their smiles and amped up their energy for us, so that we might see the light of Christ shining out through them, even when they felt their darkest.  They walked the hallways of our high school and took us out to eat.  They came to our sports games and musicals and talent shows and graduation parties.  They sought us out and just listened to us talk about our problems that sometimes weren't even all that big, but they comforted us as if they were.  They held bible studies and cabin times so that we would not fall away.  They kept persevering even when they were shut down time and time and time again.  They planned their lives around us.  All because they knew about this incredible love that God has for His people, and just wanted to share it with us.  Just wanted us to know about it.  Because they care.  Because they love me.  And because they want to see me in Heaven.  Did I mention they're not getting paid?

I understand all this now because, well, I'm going through it.  Although I led WyldLife (YoungLife for middle school kids) in high school, I'll be honest, it was never this intense. Never in a million years would I have guessed the amount of time and energy spent on planning club, praying for kids, fundraising for camp, holding each other accountable, etc.  It's exhausting.  But I get why we do it.  I get it because I had it done for me.  And so of course I'm gonna want to keep passing the love.  These are kids lives we're talking about.  Don't you think it's slightly important?  I certainly do. 

I feel like this is such a jumbled mess of words but I had to just get it all out in the open onto a page around the world whatever.  My YoungLife leaders were my heroes in high school.  They're actually still my heroes.  I definitely would not be who I am now if they hadn't stepped into my world.  I would not be doing the things I'm doing if they hadn't showered me with their love and the love of God.  Whoo.  I just hope that one day, some kid would be thinking the same thing about me.  Calling me their hero.  Because I believe that's what YoungLife leaders are.  Just trying to make sure they're gonna see everyone in Heaven.

The original 7 leaders who brought me to Christ and changed my life.