As it happens, every so often a person gets a treat. This time the treat is a good friend coming over for about a week and a half. Needless to say, we’ve had a GREAT time since he got down and even set up a tumblr for the pictures we’re posting on flickr.
Besides taking really cool pictures, we set up a new website that will include the bio of the Carimoose and anything else we can think of.
Not too long ago I was thumbing through my journal and stumbled upon this verse in the corner:
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:21-23
While those verses are great at first glance, the power behind the words rings clear when you remember that these verses of hope are stated right in the middle of the most depressing book in the Bible.
Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet, yet in the middle of the chaos and agony of his life and the fall of Israel, Jeremiah found hope. I believe this is significant to our own lives - even in the midst of our worst nightmares, we can find hope and peace in The One who gives life.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness!
Yesterday, after a month leave to my hometown, I returned to my youth group. I was numbed. I shouldn’t have been since I had been with the same people for 6 months, I had gotten used to their antics. While it wasn’t “acceptable” to me, I had ceased to be bothered by it. That, I realized, was a big problem. I’d seen their behavior as “normal” rather than appalling.
While I was in my hometown, I forgot about the “normal” behavior of the youth in my church. During my absence I had the opportunity to read two Josh Harris books that had both challenged and encouraged me in my Walk with God and focus on purity.
Going back to youth group was an awakening I hadn’t expected. I realized how wrong I was to brush off their behavior and was also numbed by how much had changed in the short month I was gone.
Our new youth Pastor has been in place since Easter, last night was the first time I met him as well as been under his “teaching”. When we all went downstairs chaos erupted, teens got into their “couples” and cliques as their mindless chatter grew to an almost intolerable level. I sincerely hoped that the new youth Pastor would be able to bring some form of order to the chaos. Those hopes, however, were dashed when he proposed we all break out into teams and play a “wireless”*
version of hide and seek.
The downfall of this was that more chaos erupted as all the teams tried to find each-other and argued over who’s phone to use. Thirty minutes later Seventy-five teens were running and yelling throughout the bottom floor of the building trying to find their team phone to text “There Is A Text Message From God” to their team leader first.
The principle was that God seeks you out like you would look for your cell phone. A great principle, but the 30 seconds spent on it before unleashing everyone to find their cell phones made the principle the last thing on anyone’s mind. As everyone loudly made their way back into the common area we attempted to proceed with cell phone trivia, and read two verses aloud so we could have the cell phone giveaways before dismissal.
The new youth pastor is nice enough and fun enough, but there is less of the Bible being taught now than there was before.
This presents a greater challenge. The youth still aren’t being fed and still don’t yearn for it, but with the chaos that erupts any attempt to speak is not just laughed at, but literally drowned out. There’s a gap in the road, the only way to cross it is to build a bridge. Last night I was at a loss for words, however I will not stay that way.
Jer 1:9 ¶ Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
God has placed in me a desire to reach out and show these people an alternative, He will give me the words when I am speechless. He will do the same for you in your situation, His power and glory will shine through if you let Him use you.
