Helping out at Riverpoint's youth group the past couple of semesters, I have seen some beautiful girls. It's so exciting to see students from middle school up through high school worshipping God together. And it is even more exciting to realize that by God's grace, I am able to help them in their journey, to tell them just how beautiful they are. It is so strange to think that I was in that spot only a couple of years ago - so much has happened in two years! But how did I get to this place? Well, lets back up about a year or so.
I'd never felt a particular call to youth ministry. Actually, I'd never felt a particular call to any particular career. I just knew God wanted me studying mass communication at Toccoa Falls College. So here I was. But then I met this guy, Ben, and well... I kinda liked this guy... really liked this guy. Anyway, Ben knew he was called into youth ministry so I thought before things got to serious I better test this youth-work thing out so last January found me dating Ben and helping out with the youth at Riverpoint. And I loved it! It was a little weird at first but then I realized what a wonderful opportunity I had and I began to really enjoy being with these students.
So fast forward a bit. September found me back at school, still dating Ben, and back at Riverpoint for youth. This year, I have also been able to help with small groups and it has been wonderful to build relationships with some of these girls. We aren't far apart in age so we can relate is friends but I still get to share my life experiences in the hope that God might be able to use me to help them. With this opportunity I have gotten to see how amazingly beautiful these girls are. The best part is they know that. They know God and his love for them and the church's love for them. They are built up by God's word, us, and each other. It is amazing to see.
But what about the girls who don't have that? Who don't know they are beautiful? Who "dream of sharing their heart" but "instead share [their] bed"? Who is there for them? Who is telling them they are beautiful and loved? I want to. I wish I could tell every girl that but I know I can't. I still want to do all I can to get that message spread. If I knew I could get even one princess to believe she was beautiful, any effort would be worth it.
So back to this Ben guy for a moment. He is now my fiancé and is still committed to ministering to youth. As his future wife, this is now my ministry too, maybe not full-time, but I must be just as committed. It's not going to be easy. We won't be making much money but it will be enough. There will be hard times, but we will get through them. I know that because I see now how God has used Ben to show me my potential. I can love... beautifully. Because that is how God loves me. And I can use that love to show a girl that she is beautiful. I've never wanted anything more than that. God has called me and I'm going to follow even though I have no idea what that looks like or how I'm going to be working with mass communication. I'm just going to trust him with that and try to wait patiently. Until then I can tell every girl who "grew up" and "gave in" that she "could be beautiful again."
- Listen to "I Knew You Before" - Dustin Kensrue (or listen to all of his stuff cause it's basically amazing)
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