This previous weekend, my life was greatly affected and changed by God through six incredible students at The Journey, a youth revival founded by my friend, Michael Rodriguez. I got the amazing opportunity of being a speaker and community group leader. These students in particular were from the church where Michael serves as youth pastor, First Baptist Church of Andalusia, Alabama.
In the midst of an incredibly rapid dissolution of walls of insecurity and fear, these young men and I communed as though we had known each other for years. We challenged one another. We motivated one another. We prayed for one another. We experienced the type of fellowship that is so good and transparent and changing and deep that it would lead a person to conclude that he/she were getting a sneak preview of Heaven. Although I had a wonderful time pouring into their lives and watching as God broke down their hesitations and inhibitations as the weekend continued, the truth is that my heart was probably hardest of all. I’ve spent the last fifteen years of my life (my whole Christian experience) giving God half-hearted commitment while still holding to and trusting in the satisfaction derived from this world. In all honesty, it’s been years since I’ve shown any consistency whatsoever in my fellowship with God. I’ve been too busy being obstinate and chasing after wind. After amazing spiritual community with my boys, listening to my own sermon, and experiencing a Saturday night of intense worship, my heart was still hard. And then Sunday morning, the last morning of the event, I was writing small letters to each of my students, writing about their specific unique gifts as I recognized them and encouraging them to be vulnerable and open to the change that God wants to bring into their lives, trusting that, even if it’s harder at the moment, God still knows what is best.
During the last sermon and the worship session that followed, I felt a somewhat familiar wrench in my heart. Like awakening after a long sleep, I felt my soul adjusting to the intense light before it. Tears streamed down my face and memories of my unfaithfulness came to my mind as I remember, being broken, feeling the voice of God gently call to me, saying, “Stephen. Will you not trust me, too?”.
I pushed the boys the whole weekend - and they responded. But I was the last one. Indeed, in the end, they set the example for me. They helped me remember what it meant and felt like to say “Yes, Lord”. I am forever indebted to Sunny, Josh, Trav, Nate, Tyler, and Marcus for the change that God brought about in my life through their example.
SRay
