The Exuberance of Youth, part 2

The funny thing is this..............

Yesterday, as I wrote...............I ended up in a very different place that what I anticipated........"Dad" does that sometimes.

Last night, again I had the opportunity to witness some young people with purpose. This time it was a theatre group from NYC. Seventeen to twenty-one year olds, sharing a message through their craft. Their passion and talent were inspiring.

So often, in our news we see kids in trouble. We must remember that those young people are just one little piece of a much larger and grander whole. Our kids have heart, passion and a message to share which we often overlook. I believe that we are called to nurture this.

I look at my own...........so often, given the opportunity, they have stepped up to the plate (even without me). Their compassion and their attitude of service are an inspiration and an encouragement to me: making donations of their beautiful hair to help provide hair prosthesis for other children; fasting and raising monies for international hunger programs; donating shoes "that i just wore once" to another child who lost home and possessions in hurricanes; baking cookies for disaster workers; distributing food and water door-to-door; repairing homes for families in need; walking for cancer awareness; working at a soup kitchen.

Recently I took a second job, working weekends. My ten year old took on a job at our church's soup kitchen. For me, it was adult supervision while I was at work. For her, it was so much more. She would be out the door between 7am and 8am and be finished at 6 or 6:30pm (with an afternoon break of course) I heard over and over what a hard worker she was, preparing and serving meals and what a joy she was in her "work". In each instance, not only have these "children" acted as heart and hands of our Savior. But they have been changed and grown through these experiences as well.

The Word says that we are to "raise up a child in the way that he should go..." And while I do believe that calls us to set a Godly example and to administer appropriate discipline, I believe that it means so much more than that. To me, it means that God has given each of us a unique personality, gifts and passions and that we all have a special purpose. As a parent it is my responsibility to recognize the special attributes in each child and nurture and encourage that (despite the rolling eye syndrome of the teen!)

Jesus said that we are to come to him with the faith of a child. I pray that today we each experience a moment of unadulterated joy, a hint of that anticipation that knows no boundaries and gratitude that we can know him as Savior and friend. And I pray that each of us will share the blessing of service which he call us to..........regardless of our age or youth.