The Lessons of Memory Lane

I've spent the past couple of days wandering down memory lane to revisit the last 5+ years of my life and many of yours. One of our students asked for a copy of the pictures I have from the previous five years of youth ministry events here at Northwoods. That along with the work I've been doing on a DVD for the team we took to New York last summer on a mission trip have led me to recall the following things we all know...

People change fast. Wow, what a difference five years can make. Physically, yes, but even more than that. Some of the kids in the pictures were the one's that would run and drive us crazy - and now they are the one's that e-mail me to let me know how much the new breed of crazy little students drives them crazy! Patience is a virtue. Let's not forget where we were only a few short years ago.

People need constant encouragement. Let's go ahead and admit it - we are all high maintaining. I was heart broken to look through the pictures and realize the number of students pictured who seem so full of life and hope and energy who today seem so lost and without hope. Students who were so connected who now seem so isolated onto their own little island. Life is tough. Being a teenager can takes it's toll. We need each other. Let's encourage one another. Most of all let's never give up each other and look for opportunities to build one another up as we become more and the person God has created us to be.

God will save the day. The best part of looking through those old picutes is realizing how many students we have that are going strong and loving God. Students who are studying for ministry. Volunteers who are overseas sharing Christ with the world. Students studying to become engineers, counselor's, children's workers, computer scientists, Air Force pilots - all for the glory of Christ. Even students who don't know what they want to do vocational but in the meantime they know they want to love God and love people. What a propelled it has been to watch as God has worked good out of the lives of these many people who have been a part of the Northwoods family and are now young adults living for Christ all over our country and world.