Teenagers....just the word brings up an image that drives terror into the hearts of many. They can be rude, obnoxious, intimidating, irresponsible and unpredictable. They can also be loyal, adventurous, hilarious, thoughtful and generous.
I've worked in youth ministry for 15 plus years and am now serving as high school leader in a local urban ministry. I've rebuked, mentored, laughed at and cried over countless teens. They have brought me more joy and more heartache than I ever imagined was possible. I've stayed up with them at all night prayer lock-ins, played practical jokes on them, eaten mountains of indigestible food, held them as they break down and celebrated their victories. I am amazed at their strength but also at their complete lack of common sense.
They are faced with so much more pressure than I was at their age and that is what keeps me awake some nights. How do we fight a culture that leads to the destruction of the young? I know that they are in God's hands but I still worry about therm. I can't ignore the feeling that there is more we can do. They are growing up anxious about the future, disconnected from adults, distracted and obsessed with social media, finding their worth in the careless words of strangers. They need adults who will listen to them, laugh at their stories, tutor them in Algebra and English, model social skills and pray with them and for them. I am blessed to be able to work in an environment that makes all these things possible. There are programs in place to facilitate the mentoring and tutoring of teenagers. Get involved. Coach a team, chaperone trips, lead small groups. Teens don't need us to be cool or to entertain them. They need us to be consistent and real. It is time consuming and emotionally draining. Sometimes it feels like failure when you keep saying the same things over and over and girls get pregnant, a young man takes his own life, another ends up in prison or in an abusive relationship. That's where faith kicks in. Keep planting and watering and trust God for the results. It's easy to focus on what we perceive as failures but there are many, many victories. I've seen high schoolers skip lunch to converse with the elderly, interact gently with handicapped adults, lead games with groups of children, pack boxes of food to nourish the hungry and sort endlessly through donations for the poor in their community. They laugh, dance, listen to horribly discordant music with questionable lyrics, make fun of each other (and me) and be altogether too loud and raucous in public but when they love, it's with their whole hearts and when they give, they hold nothing back. That's why teens are my people.
Remember all the teens from WSC now WU? We really enjoyed them, eating at our table every Sunday. We have never regretted those times. Another thing I would say is we also have to teach teens forgiveness. When we forgive, we also are forgiven. Love you darling girl.