On the floor curled up
against a pole. The words of
challenge have been given…”What is your dream? Ask God to reveal your dreams to you.” As the music plays I lay my dreams at
God’s feet. The tears begin to
flow as I pray. My heart breaks in
a way it never has before. I am
completely overwhelmed by this desperation in my heart. My heart is pouring out for those I
have never met, for the broken and hurting. I am shaking with sobs as I cry out to my Lord…
I have spent the last 7 years
working with teenagers. Very soon
after I became a Christian God put a love and a passion for teenagers in my
heart. I knew I needed to share my
story with them. I knew I was to
help bring hope and love to them. I was a youth pastor for three years and a counselor to teenage girls
for a year. I loved my work with
teenagers, but by the time I came on the race I was burned out some. It is hard and frustrating work with
teenagers and the victories are sometimes far and few in between especially in
the year of counseling.
About half way through the
race I truly missed my teenagers. I have not really done any work with them this year. I was reminded how much I do love
teenagers. How much I love
discipling and counseling them. It
was refreshing to be reminded of that love and calling. I knew that I would return to that work
again when I got back home. But
something incredible happened on that September evening in Romania at the
Awakening conference.
God broke my heart for
teenagers. He broke it in a way I
have never experienced before. As
I prayed about my dreams and passions, God torn me apart. I became overwhelmed with a desperate
need to bring healing and love to the broken teenagers in the U.S. so much so
that I was sobbing for them. It
was as if I could feel the brokenness and hopelessness in their hearts. It is not enough for me to just go home
and counsel. I have a calling to
bring Jesus to the teenagers out there. There is not healing and wholeness without Jesus. It is not enough to teach teens how to
cope or improve their self-esteem. They need to be completely transformed by the power of Jesus and I truly
think it is something they desperately need. It is not enough for me just to counsel, but I need to
disciple, to lead, to love, to speak, to reach out to both small and large
groups of teenagers. I cannot pray
about this call without my eyes filling up with tears and my heart wrenching to
be out there bringing Jesus to the youth of our country.
Several times during the
conference people got words from God about my work and calling with
teenagers. God sealed in me my
kingdom dream. So what does all of
this look like when I get home from the race? I have no idea. I know that I will be seeking employment where I can minister to
teenagers. I truly desire a place
where I can counsel youth, disciple them, lead them on mission trips, speak out
to them and generally pour my heart out on them. I want to be able to truly build deep relationships with
teenagers. I want to overwhelm
them with the love and power of Jesus.
So, my prayer is that God
will open this door for me. For
those reading this I ask that you share with me any opportunities you may know
of that may appear to line up with my heart. I have been amazed this year how God works through people
connections. I have a strong
desire to live in Colorado and minister there. This is something I have desired for several years, but God
has not opened the door for it yet. I am completely open to going anywhere God calls me to go. Please pray that God will reveal to me
place to live and minister when the race is finished.
“You must go to everyone I
send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue
you,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah
1:7,8
