Link by Link

Over the break, I’ve been able to catch up on a few good reads. The other day I stumbled upon a quote that set the wheels of my mind rolling; in Great Expectations Charles Dickens writes, “Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day” (p. 69). After some pondering, I thought about the chain that binds me to Younglife. And I will proceed to tell whoever the readers may be just how that chain came to be.

To start chronologically, I first became involved in Younglife as a high school student. It was great in the beginning and I fully enjoyed being with all the people, but after a few years, I felt that the ministry was doing me no good. I gained nothing from the talks and my relationship with the Lord remained stagnant. Now skip forward a few years if you will to the summer before my freshman year at college. As is to be expected I was worried about making friends and getting involved in organizations that were sure to better me as a person and as a follower of Christ. Before I moved away I had assumed that I would go to the first few meetings for Quest, the college version of Younglife, just to test the waters. In all honesty I did not think anything would become of these visits. But boy was I wrong.

I cannot tell you the exact moment that my heart changed, but I know it was within the first few weeks of being on campus. I was invited to a Quest cookout and from there proceeded to attend other fun outings with the intentions of getting to know other students. Somehow out of those few occasions I found not only some of my best friends, but more importantly a dedication to serve. At some point I realized that I was holding a grudge over my unproductive high school experience with Younglife and that grudge was unnecessary, impractical, immature, and any other number of adjectives that depict a stupid action. Anyways, from there I knew that I was meant to be involved.

Now I have a desire to serve the Lord and to show the world just how great His love is, where as in high school that was not always the case. Don’t get me wrong, I was always a believer, just not always as willing to express that belief to opposition. Early into my first semester I decided to dive head first into Younglife and Quest. I am anxiously awaiting not only the training, but also the hope of becoming a leader in one of the area high schools. Jesus specifically told his disciples to go into all the nations exclaiming the Good News. As a disciple I begin my journey with the nation of high school students.

Looking back just on the past few months, I am amazed at how God has changed my heart; from barely wanting to give the organization a try to complete confidence in my dedication to become a leader. I rejoice in the gold, flowery chains that now bind me to serving the Almighty God in the best way I know possible; simply loving kids for just who they are.