I spent the weekend at High School camp...it was very cold, and very fun. I love when I get to be a part of events as an extra set of hands. I'm not in charge (don't get me wrong, I also love to be in charge), but I get to stand in the background and help where needed, but also relax and hang out.
From the sidelines, I get to see things that I might have missed if I were in my typical "program" mode.
One thing I noticed this week was a group of students who have amazing hearts for others and for their world. I love that. I am so proud of who they are...
I'm so proud of their parents. I look at these teenage boys who are kind and accepting...raising their hands in worship to God, approaching the speaker with tears in their eyes to ask questions about the Bible, and sitting in the cafeteria with bow ties, dinner jackets and running shorts...I really hope that I raise kids that are like that...I know they will be crazy and make mistakes...I know they will fight and cry, I know that I will fight and cry...but I hope that, in the long run, they are filled with compassion and a desire to follow God...
I also feel like they are shining examples of what a good Student Ministry can do in the life of a student. I know that parenting plays a huge role in who they will grow up to be...but I also know that the presence of a loving, caring adult (who is not their parent) takes them to the next level. Someone willing to take time to listen, to pour in to them. I strongly believe that the compassion and selflessness shown in our students are, in part, a result of the compassion and selflessness they are being shown by these adults.
I know that this is true because this is my story. My parents are great: so supportive and loving...but I know that I would not be in ministry today, I would not have a heart for Africa, so many other things that make me who I am today, without the other adults I had in my life...the adults who loved me, modeled God's love in my life...
Students, I am so proud of who you are. I hope that you take some time to pour these learnings in to the next generation...and encourage them to do the same...
5 comments:
Gosh I am proud of you.
I am so glad that I got you (and your brother) up out of bed every Sunday morning all those many years to take you to (McDonalds and then) Church each week. I am so very happy that you literally grew up at Saddleback and now are the adult that is feeding into other students whose parents are getting them up out of bed and getting them to church every week. You are making a difference in the WORLD Allison Hibbard. Glad I could be just a little part of it!!
:)
I agree...this weekend was a great awkening for me to see those students in a different light...and it was cool to see it standing beside people who took the journey with me like you, Jake, and Katie and Julie! Wow!
Sometimes I just wish Barry, Greg and others that poured into us, could see that because of them we've been forever changed.
seriously, they are what the next generation of christians should be. its inspiring and gets me stoked to see how they're going to change this world
because they will and we all know it
This was great to read. Seeing young people worship the Lord whole-heartedly is one of the most beautiful things.
Allison, you are the inspiring one. Its because of people like you that all these wonderful students you speak of are so blessed with Gods will placed in their hearts. All of us students look at you as something to aspire to be, you and the HSM staff work so hard to get to know us all as the individuals in our knit family of Christ that we are and you show us how to be the most inspiring and influential people we can be. What you witnessed at XA was a result of God working through you. We are all thankful for you and we love you so much. Thank you.
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