I spent the evening of 4.20.11 with a group of teenagers/young adults. We had a blast singing, dancing and laughing while we watched reggaeton and other music videos. Then the Pastor showed a video about 3 young men who went through basic military training together. They returned to the world and after a while were called to duty. I won't go into the whole story of the video bc it's unimportant. The major part is one of them became a Christian between training and war and another had an abusive past with his father and was not trying to hear any of that Jesus stuff. Of course, the Christian one died and inspired the other guy to really look into the God thing. At the end of the video he went to his estranged father and forgave him.
What happened, after the video finished, between these incredible young people was excrutiatingly painful and yet irresistably beautiful. Right under the surface of the teenage teasing and joking was a thick layer of hurt and pain. The Pastor prayed and spoke about freedom in Christ. He then asked everyone to stand. He separated the guys and girls and just told them to pray. He began to pray over them freedom & deliverance, healing of their past wounds, their abuse, the evil they experienced, the childhoods they deserved but never had…
The girls wrapped their arms around each other and just weeped. The pain that was expressed in those tears was something NO ONE should EVER have in them to pour out; let alone 15 and 16y/o's. However, the hope and power and restoration in those tears was beyond powerful. They cried out to God, they clung to each other, they spoke life over themselves and their sisters… They declared their trust in God and in the plans He has for their lives. 
They declared themselves free of their past and the abuses they suffered. These girls grabbed hold of/ claimed the love of God and all that comes with it. It was breathtaking!
Two of my teammates and I were privileged to be a part of this evening. It was an honor to speak the Word of God into their lives and to break generational curses off of them. It was an absolute joy to wrap my arms around their prayer circle and call peace, innocence, healing, restoration, bright futures, overabundance of blessings, waves of love that they deserved but never received, healthy family lives…down from heaven for them.
I walked out of the church heavy. I just wanted to keep weeping for them. One of the boys called our attention to the moon- it was gorgeous. Full, perfectly round, a yellowish glow, hanging low in the sky peeking through the limbs…the beauty of God's creation. I walked off a little by myself to just sit and spend time with My Daddy. I still had tears to cry…
Tell me, where do you find a zest for life after seeing 15 year olds weeping from all the past wrongs done to them? How do you reconcile that? How do you keep from thinking it's all just too ugly, too far gone, too broken….to even bother fixing. I know the pain I felt when I was processing the abuse I suffered as a child. I did this when I was 24; it's sick that they have to do it at 16. I did it with the support of two loving parents; these girls live in an orphanage because their parents/families were the cause of the problem or at the very least don't have the means to be a part of the solution. Looking into the eyes of someone who has experienced a lifetime of hurt in the short span of 16 years, what incites you to keep going?
While sitting there I noticed there were two long flourescent high school gym type lights on the property sandwiching the moon. They hurt my eyes to look at and were too bright and just out of place. All I wanted was the moon. All I needed in that moment was the moon. It hit me- God.
The man-made solutions we try to create to fix our problems are ultimately bandaids. Some of the lights down the road were burnt out. The moon is faithful. It's there every night. These girls get that. They have learned to cling to The One stable thing in the midst of their storms. Despite all the tragedies they've seen, God makes their lives worth living. 
They walk with Him. God gives them purpose. God gives them peace. God gives them hope. It's real to them. It's not just a song they sing or a scripture they memorized- they live God. They HAVE to or life might become too tough of a choice to make.
The other thing they get is community. They cling to each other. They share their stories. They celebrate their successes and share their failures. My teammates and I have spoken repeatedly of how amazing they are, how well they work together, the passion with which they lead the children's ministry, the unconditional love…now I know why. They are each other's family. They embrace God as their Father and each other as brothers and sisters.
Yes, this month we did ministry. We spoke in church. We helped run children's service and put on a week-long camp. We prayed in hospitals and We did stuff. However, the most important thing that took place this month was learning. I don't think I gave even 1/10 of what I received this month. The young people that live here are amazing. They have touched my life in ways I will never forget. They have shown me how to walk with God. They have shown me the power of God. They have shown me the strength and importance of community. They have made me want to live in a better way.
I am eternally grateful.
QotM:
"I lean not on my own understanding. My life is in the hands of the Maker of Heaven." ~United Pursuit
SotM:
