I am writing this while on the bus coming home from a week at Malibu camp, having just enjoyed front row seats to see God moving in the lives of a cabin full of high school friends from Spokane. Enjoy this recap what just went down as we prayed, rallied to get kids away for a week to slow down with face to face time with friends, leaders and God. Hope this brings glory to God and fills your cup.
5 of 10 guys were players, I was their tennis coach at Mead HS. A few were from Gonzaga Prep HS. On the outside, these guys are fairly well put together, talented, having parents that love them. Yet inside, every one of them were full of doubts and self-doubt, plagued with anxiety, enveloped with emptiness, languished with loneliness and bruised with harsh and hurtful words from others.
Of the 10 guys in our cabin, there we some common threads.
*8 struggle with deep anxiety and persistent depression.
*7 had previously been introduced to Jesus and fell off the rails and lost their way with God.
*2 were in a mature place where they wanted to grow personally, yet focus on helping the others
*All 10 clearly understood that they filled their life with things that don't fill their 'cups' / gloves.
*All 10 doubted that even IF something special happened this week, it would not even last.
*1 guy had never prayed/talked to God before. For 4, it had been a long time.
How it all went down!
Night 1 and 2, all the guys committed to 'own' where they are at, not pretend to be closer than they actually are to God. And when sharing what they wanted out of the week, every guy expressed wanting to encounter God, to 'feel' His presence, and that they would finally figure out HOW to connect with God. Most guys fell asleep during the first two cabin times. Was not sure how seriously they would engage.
Night 3 and 4. Guys related to a metaphor about a large flashlight that is made to fit a large battery. Anything else filling the inside of the battery interrupts it from working, even if it seems to fit. The guys opened up about what they fit in their lives that short-circuits their connection to God that they were made for. Endless phone scrolling, comparison, pursuit of money, trying to 'lock in' to excelling in sports at the expense of anything else, and an infinite amount of distractions. Bottom line they all realized was that TIME was not the problem. Even when free time comes, every one of them 'doesn't feel like' praying or reading the bible or turning to God. They are compelled to waste time instead. It sickened them. The conclusion was that it is a 'love' problem. They do not love God to a level that they would want Him. Can you relate? Front row seats to hearing these honest young people share so authentically that I felt my own excuses evaporate that I have a time problem. Do I have a love problem too? Big oof!
It was so truthful, my co-leader Logan (Whitworth student, from Yakima) and I gave them an invitation for the guys to 'say to God, what they just said to each other.' In other words, lets not talk 'about' God, to TO God about all this. They all did. Some were nervous of not knowing how to talk to God. But they encouraged one another and workshopped it out into a beautiful group time of prayer and confession where everyone lifted to God the distractions and burdens they have been carrying and choking on.
Day 5 and 6 were 'fire', as the kids say. In addition to cabin times, we mixed in 1-on-1 convos and 2-on-1 convos where we went even deeper into the next level of depth and opportunity.
My co-leader Logan and I met with two of our guys, back to back.
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| Me, Logan, Nate, 'JC' and 'E' |
For an hour, Logan and I listened deeply, shared key verses that have freed us from similar battles, and I was able to share my own journey of identifying the sources of the self-talk and words that have run roughshod through my mind. E had never considered that he was listening to the wrong voice. It stopped him in his tracks. He began to sit up straight. His own voice perked up. He began to look at the view rather than at the floor. We agreed to pray together and the three of us proclaimed the truth of the word of God over the darkness and lies. He prayed out "God I want your voice to be louder and more dominant to me than any other voice." He walked away 30 pounds lighten in his shoulders, and shared that night with the other guys what took place. In fact, we had another 15 minute quiet time that evening and he had a totally opposite experience than the day before. He took it slow, breathed deeply, invited God to speak, listened and realized that he IS a person who CAN connect with God and hear Him speak. Glory to God that he still moves stones and transforms the lives of all who believe, even overcoming our unbelief.
The next hour Logan and I met with JC, E's best friend, who also exudes magnetism, off the charts talent, leadership beyond his age (tennis team captain, drum major in the band, faceman of a rock band, etc) and a consistent engagement with Young Life. He also, when being given a chance to share deeper, unveiled a nagging dark depression, pesky addictions and a reluctance to even bother trying to draw near to God, since it never lasts and I screw it up and fall back to sin. JC shared details of patterns in his life where people seem to die and take their owns lives all around him; family, girl friends and friends. He feels cursed and fearful to make ANY commitments because he will fail and be worse off for even trying. He has not committed to God because of this gripping fear and experience of failure following through and the shame storm that rages after tripping up.
We listened, let him hear himself saying these lies and filters that keep him from the closeness with God he already expressed that he wants. We shared Jesus' words that HIS burden is light, and a commitment is to be WITH Him, letting Jesus walk alongside Him to help carry the commitment, and provide for him. We shared Jesus' invitation to follow him, the Holy Spirit empowers us, God's grace covers us, and Logan shared about how the disciples committed yet messed up so many times, yet were never booted or beaten up by Jesus, but learned, grew and were given more. We read Psalm 139, how God knows EVERYTHING, so its not a performance, it truly is a relationship based on GOD'S initiation and knowing us. Something began to release inside of JC. When it came to us praying, he asked for strength to make commitments, to let go of fears and to draw near and prayed the last two verses of Psalm 139. After our time, he went back to the cabin (Lillooet 8,) got his guitar out and wrote a song based on Psalm 139, and at cabin time shared with the guys that he commits to grow in faith, the word, in prayer and using his gift for God.
A last meeting took place this morning that was of colossal impact. N is our quietest camper, he does not seem to have much to say, and mumbles when its his time to talk during cabin time. He went to YL only twice this year, even though we invited him every time. He signed up 3 weeks before camp, because he heard another wrestler, Trandyn, signed up. His older sister came to YL camp years ago when my daughter Janna invited her, but she was quiet also, reluctant and skeptical. (Amazing that 5 years later, God got ahold of her and completely transformed her life right as she graduated HS and is a dynamic follower of Jesus now!) N requested to have a 2:1 with me and Trandyn, who I invested in as a junior leader during the week. We met up on the rock near the gym this morning (Monday, Day 7) and just asked him what he had been processing and where he is at with Jesus. He talked for almost an hour, hardly resting for a breath. He has SO much to say. He soaked up every bit of the speakers 'talks', he made notes of all the Bible verses that were shared so he could look them up. He did not have a Bible so we got him one on day 1, and he had underlines and marked pages already.
N's story and family dynamics are heavy. Harsh words have pierced his heart deeply and formed unhealed wounds that lead him to be a subdued person. Trandyn stepped in and he heard the wounding words and he spoke truth of who N really is, and that he respects him as a wrestler, and is so proud of him as a person for all he has overcome. It was so powerful coming from a peer (even just 1 year older) speaking God's truth.
His family has had an ugly breakup with the LDS church years ago that have left a deep distrust in 'religion' and disbelief in God's goodness and love. Yet somehow, this week, N concluded the opposite of his parents. He wanted MORE of God. He was blown away but all he saw, heard and experienced.
He shared that in the cabin time where we all prayed out loud, it was the FIRST time he has ever prayed. Then in the two 15 minute quiet times, those were the second and third time he ever prayed. We asked him if he has ever said 'yes' to start a relationship with Jesus. He said he has not yet, but wants to. So, Trandyn led us in prayer, I prayed and then we let him pray. It was a beautiful moment to be there for this. From there, we walked into the club room where the final club had already started. During club, the speaker gave a chance for kids to stand up and share ('say-so') if they started a relationship with Jesus. Pretty sure N was the most recent one to make the call, it was about 10 mins from praying to sharing on a mic with the other campers that he started a relationship with God!
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| "N" sharing at Say-So! |
During 'say-so'. he stood and proclaimed his faith alongside Spokane cabin mates E, JC, Austin and one our Spokane girls too, Avery. When E and JC shared as well, it revealed that the Holy Spirit worked deeply in them enough to overcome their doubts, self-doubts, fears, anxiety and lack of confidence that even if God showed up in their lives, that it would even last. Yet, they committed. Huge win. And as we head home, we have plans to dive into God's word, meet regularly and lean on each other rather than trying to go it alone. Pray with us for E, JC, N, Austin, Avery and the others like Nate, Trandyn and Ryder who came also that committed to take their faith to the next level of growing and taking next steps too.
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| JC, Austin, E and Avery sharing at Say-So |
WE get to invite Jesus' light into kids' darkness. It is such a joy and worth the time, money, energy and effort. Thank you for caring, partnering, praying and, like Luke 15, celebrating when
Hearing how He filled kids' lonely and anxious hearts, what a powerful reminder that God is able to do more than we could ask or imagine.
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