One of the fun things about hanging around Youth is the constant optimism they have in planning something. They rarely set parameters on their dreaming (sometimes scheming), so the practicalities of dates and budget and meals are thrown to the wayside. It is exasperating and exhilarating to be around that kind of energy.
While many adults find that kind of freedom from constraint exasperating, I have found it extremely helpful if I remain open to it, to winnow out the kernel of what makes their plans important to them. While many might assume that our Youth just want to do something fun for the sake of fun, fun is actually a conduit to relationship—relationship with each other and relationship with Jesus.
We get together for fun stuff—camping, games, movies, donuts—but for the purpose of getting to know God better, to invite Jesus into their lives and on their faith journeys. These kids are constantly coming up with new, deeper questions— how? why? what does this mean? I think that I can speak for all our Youth Leaders here at St. Dunstan’s that it is exhilarating and challenging to keep up with how fast their brains are growing, how fast their faith is growing. When our Youth are together, they celebrate each other’s joys (good test scores, a new puppy or phone, a trip to Disney) and maybe more importantly, each other’s sorrows (a break-up, a failing grade, a rough family relationship). And they want to get together to “get some Jesus,” a prayer, a lesson, a reminder of God’s constant love for us even in harder times.
To that end, our Spring and Summer has plenty of plans made to foster those relationships:
Feb 12 Youth Group Super Bowl Party at the Stengl’s
Feb 14 Second Annual Stockholder’s Supper
Mar 4 Garage Sale
Mar 11-12 “Camp Somerville” campout
April 7 Good Friday Reverse Lock In
April 15 Holy Smokes Cookoff--Chuckwagon team
April 21-23 Happening at Camp Allen
June 18-23 Camp Eagle, Rocksprings, TX
The bittersweet thing about all this planning is this is the last time I’ll be journeying to Camp Eagle with our Youth. My husband, Jeff, was promoted to head the Federal Air Marshal office in Denver, Colorado. I have stayed here in Houston to ensure Emily can graduate with her friends from Klein Cain in May, but in July we’ll be joining him in the Denver area. I have been so blessed by St. Dunstan’s and the trust you’ve put in me to guide this Youth Program. We are working to find my replacement sooner rather than later to make the transition seamless. God has plans for all of us—I hope we can all open our minds to see the freedom in them.
