Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to serve as a leader for our youth's DNOW weekend. At first, when they told me that I would get seventh-grade girls, I'll admit I was scared to death. I don't even remember being a seventh grader anymore. If anything I was still in California for junior high school. As I spent that weekend with these girls, I realized that they are no different than me. I realized they are in about the same situation as I am and that they are going through the same things, in different seasons of life of course, that I am going through.
That was the first time I ever lead a small group. I always attended mine and picked up on how to be a great leader, only because I had the two best in the game, but that wasn't enough. I learned that besides reciting scripture and answering the guideline questions, I had to open up my heart and show them my life too. And when I did, I felt like they trusted me more and actually listened to what I had to say. The way they sat there and listened to my life story and told me at least one point of my life reflected something that had happened in their life and how they either overcame it, or how they used it to become a better person made me realize one thing: the rising generation is going to be a great one.
I learned that middle school is a tough time for these girls and that they were faced with struggles that seemed a bit silly to me but was the world to them. I listened as they told me their problems, difficulties, and the "worst days of their lives." After a couple tears and stories that took me back to my middle school days, my girls also told me how they were done seeing the negative in life. They wanted to see the reason behind the things that happened and they wanted to learn to trust God and His plan. As we got deeper and deeper into our small group session, I saw the light in these girls. I wasn't nervous with them anymore and instantly fell in love with each of their hearts.
The girls in February and the girls I have gotten to work with the past couple months have proven to me that no matter what the world is throwing at them, they could turn to God. They trusted Him and His plans and showed me that that is what I needed to do. The way the Lord used those girls to show me that I needed to trust Him changed my view on this rising generation.
