It is hard to think about, but this January will be the start of my fifth year at Eberly’s Mill as the Youth Pastor. It makes me chuckle to think of all that we have experienced at the Youth Group. There have been times of 3 student every Wednesday and now up to 15 or more. It’s been a roller coaster ride for me and I can’t speak for them but I’m sure Abby, Dan, Dana and Katie would say the same. We’ve seen good time and not so good times.
Right now we face a bit of a challenge; I’m really not sure how we are going to turn out on the other side of this but I know I’m not going to sit on the side lines in the middle of what I am faithfully praying will be a wicked awesome harvest.
As of last Wednesday we had 16 students, can you guess how many of them come from a home that is not broken. One. 1/16 student’s parents are still together. Out of those 15 some of them are working on 2nd or 3rd marriages. Now this statistic may not strike a chord with you but to think about this brings tears to my eyes.
These students are broken. They face some of the most challenging situations a human could ever come up against. I won’t give you specific names because some of them read this blog, so I don’t want to embarrass them but I will give you situations as examples.
A student’s parents are splitting up because from what I can tell they just can’t get over themselves and won’t work on their problems so they are taking the easy way out. What I don’t think they realize is that their selfishness is crushing their children’s thought of what a proper home should be.
Another student gets blamed for everything, always being told they are no good and a liar. The mother doesn’t show them any love and the situation at home is so confusing with such conflicting messages they can’t tell right from wrong.
Another student’s parents, who are split up, can’t agree on anything. One is trying to do the right thing and actually being a parent, disciplining their children while the other just let’s them run ramped. The second parent blames everything on the first not taking any responsibility so the student is being blinded not seeing what is best for them, only what seems easy.
Yet another longs for their father’s love and wants so desperately for him to stop using.
I could keep going but I think you get the picture. We face a rough time and I for one am going to take action right now and I ask that you join me.
For the next 40 days I am going to fast during the day. From sun up to sun down I will not eat but pray for these students, that God would radically change their lives.
Now I know that Jesus says in the Word that we should not make a public spectacle of our fasting like the Pharisees did. So I want you to understand I am not making this public to be a spectacle but to ask you to join me in this and for all of you to help keep me accountable. Fasting is a hard discipline of the faith but one that yield tremendous results.
Consequently my blogs for the next 40 days will reflect this activity, perhaps giving updates, talking about proper fasting methods. There is a good way to do this that honors God and then there is a way of doing this that doesn’t honor God.
I truly hope that you will join me in praying for these students over the next 40 days, I am excited to see what God does in their lives.
May our LORD be with you
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