Jesus-Ville

Working with teenagers is like working at a theme park, the theme of the park is Jesus. Jesus ville, the theme park, has lots of roller-coasters, theses coasters are students. The excitement and joy of the spiritual highs and the scary, close-call sadness of the lows are what I do all day every day. See working with teenagers is not a job you can just "clock-out" of. They call you and tell you about life and the ups and the downs. Because the Lord has placed in me a love for them the highs they have are almost more exciting for me and the lows bring me to tears. Because there are so many of these "coasters" to ride in a weeks time it seems as thought there is always someone on a low and not necessarily always someone up on the highs. The trouble with the ups and downs is that the world says "when you don't do it our way-were done with you." The world says, "when you mess up-your done." Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. Jesus says, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 Jesus wants us to love the way He loves, and His love is unconditional. The reason we who are part of the body of Christ are different from the world is we love the crazy roller coasters even after they knock the wind out of us or we get whiplash. When the coasters hurt us and make us want to stomp out and never ride it again, Jesus says go right on back and love unconditionally. I have exsperianced great heartache because of the choices of students I have loved on and the struggle is and I'm sure will always be, to love them after they mess up really bad. Most people who like roller-coasters (I have NEVER been one of those people) usually like to go and ride them all, even for a few days! However, after awhile you get totally drained by the whole experience and need to just walk away. Now don't freak out I'm not walking away or leaving my lovely theme park of FBC Crosby's own Jesus-ville, but I write this to ask for prayer. Prayer for me and the other adults who are giving parts of each day to pray for a love on the roller coasters that are teenagers. Pray for the adults and then pray for these teens. The Lord had 12 disciples and a lot of them were teenagers. Media is focused on teenagers, families surround their lives around what their students are active in, God uses teenagers to impact the world. THAT is a lot of pressure especially when you have regular life to deal with and I am here to tell you folks, teenagers are not innately sweet like they used to be and school is NOT the way it used to be either. So pray for our students to keep their focus on the Lord and to seek wise counsel when they are on the roller coaster of their lives. Students need to know they have the support of those "loyal fans", they need someone in their corner. If I am a believer I am to be an encourager and motivator and one who loves the way Jesus loved, not the way the world loves. So if you know a teenager and you don't know what to do with em-just keep loving them and encouraging them and PRAY for them no matter what.